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STEPHEN  Bo  WEEKS 

CLASS  OF  1886:  PH.D.  THE  JOHNS  HOPKINS  UNIVERSITY 

UEMW 

OF  TIHIE 

UNIVElRSiniY  OF  WME  CAMDOMA 
TIE  WEEKS  C(0)1L]LECT]I(Q)N 

OF 


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# 


DISCOURSE 


LIFE   AND   CHARACTER 


SIR  WALTER  RALEGH: 


TELIVF.RF.n    at 


J.    iMORRISON    HARRIS, 


bi:roRK  THE 


]MA]S¥ILAirB.HE§T@IE]I©AIL  ^©(DEI^S'Y, 

MAY    19.    1846, 

BEING  THE  THIRD  ANNUAL  ADDRESS  TO  THAT  ASSOCIATION. 


B  A  h  T  1 M  O  R  E  : 

PRINTED   FOR   THE    SOCIETY  BY  JOHN  D.  TOY, 

Corner  of  Market  and  St.  Paul  Streets. 

MDCCCXLVI. 


» 


DISCOURSE 


LIFE  AND  CHARACTER 


Sm  WALTER  RALEGH: 


DEHViiBKi)    JBV 


J.    MORRISON    HARRIS^ 


BEFORE    THE 


MAY    19,    1846, 

b£ing  the  third  annual  address  to  that  association. 


^ 


BALTIMORE: 

I'fllNTED   FOE.   THE    SOCIETY  BY   JOHN  D.  TOY, 

Corner  of  Market  and  St,  Paul  Streets. 
MDCCCXLVI. 


SIR  WALTER  RALEGH. 


We  have  opened  the  volume  of  History^  this  even- 
ing, at  a  page  crowded  with  the  record  of  great 
deeds,  and  glowing  with  the  story  of  illustrious  men. 

The  period  immediately  preceding,  was  one  of 
the  most  momentous  in  the  annals  of  the  race,  for 
the  events  which  distinguished  it,  were  of  a  weight 
and  character,  not  merely  to  impress,  powerfully,  the 
age  in  which  they  occurred,  but  to  extend  their  in- 
fluence through  all  subsequent  time, — tinging  the 
opinions,  moulding  the  institutions,  and  affecting  the 
destinies  of  man. 

It  was  a  period  of  varied  and  startling  action, 
mental,  moral  and  physical.  The  invention  of  Print- 
ing had  given  impetus  to  Letters.  The  revival  of 
Letters,  opportunity  to  investigation,  and  impulse  to 
thought.  With  increasing  knowledge,  came  new 
and  just  perceptions  of  mental  freedom;  and  the 
withes  of  superstition,  in  which  the  spirit  of  man  had 
been  bound  for  ages,  were  rent  asunder  in  the  first 
struggles  of  the  awakening  giant.  From  his  gloomy 
2 


4  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

cell^  the  monk  of  Eisleben  came  forth  with  his  latin 
Bible^  and  his  indomitable  heart;  and;  amid  the  war 
of  creeds^  the  conflict  of  principles^  and  the  con- 
vulsions of  society^  the  Sampson  of  the  Reformation 
held  his  appointed  way.  In  the  stern  conflict  which 
ensued;  men  of  commanding  genius,  everywhere 
sprang  up.  On  the  one  side  fought  Erasmus,  Me- 
lancthon,  Zuinglius,  Calvin;  on  the  other,  Lainez, 
Xavier,  Loyola.  The  collision  of  such  minds  could 
not  fail  to  produce  the  most  important  results.  The 
untiring  effort  and  unshaken  faith  of  the  first, 
strengthened  and  carried  on  the  Reformation;  the 
splendid  genius,  and  super-human  zeal  of  the  last, 
conceived  and  built  up  the  order  of  the  Jesuits. 

The  age  was,  further,  illustrated  by  the  success  of 
Columbus.  The  mariner  of  Genoa,  had  given  a 
new  world  to  the  sovereignty  of  Spain.  A  great 
problem  had  been  solved,  and  the  Geography  as 
w^ell  the  Religion  of  the  world,  was  in  a  condition  of 
agitation  and  reform.  The  immense  field,  thus  sud- 
denly opened  to  the  daring  and  adventurous,  soon 
became  the  theatre  of  some  of  the  most  interesting 
and  momentous  incidents  in  History.  With  un- 
scrupulous hand,  Pizarro  had  gathered  the  abun- 
dant wealth  of  Peru,  and  the  sceptre  of  the  fallen 
Incas  passed  into  the  iron  grasp  of  the  soldier  of 
fortune.  Through  the  lovely  valley  and  the  thronged 
City  of  Mexico,  the  fiery  Cortez  had  passed  in  his 
path  of  blood ;  and  the  expiring  fires  of  the  Teocallis 
threw  their  red  glare,  alike  upon  the  means  and  the 
end  of  conquest: — the  heaped  spoils  of  the  Indian 
Emperor,  and  the  fearful  scenes  of  the  "night  of 
woe." 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  5 

Events  of  such  magnitude  could  not  fail  to  pro- 
duce the  most  serious  effects  upon  the  character  and 
conduct  of  the  succeeding  age^  and  we^  accordingly, 
find  their  influence  distinctly  marked  in  the  history 
of  the  time.  It  would  lead  us  into  too  long  a  digres- 
sion to  trace  out  the  results  attributable  to  each; 
and  it  is  sufficient  for  our  purpose  to  state,  gene- 
rally, that  they  greatly  enlarged  the  domain,  and 
liberty  of  thought — directed  the  philosophic  to  new 
and  wonderful  themes — fired  the  imagination  and 
gave  scope  to  the  daring  of  the  adventurous; — 
changed  entirely  the  tone  of  society — purged  the 
church  of  errors — checked  the  throne  in  its  license 
— gave  place  and  reality  to  the  People — devolved 
upon  man,  new  responsibilities  and  rights,  and  inves- 
ted his  nature  with  sublimer  dignity.  The  period  to 
which  our  attention  is  particularly  directed  this  even- 
ing, exhibits  in  all  its  occurrences  the  influence  of 
the  events  to  which  we  have  referred,  and  premising 
that  its  general  character  cannot  be  rightly  under- 
stood unless  they  are  borne  in  mind,  we  shall  pass  at 
once  to  the  consideration  of  our  subject. 

Sir  Walter  Ralegh  was  fortunate  in  the  moment 
of  his  birth.  He  came  into  public  life  in  the  dawn  of 
the  most  brilliant  era  of  English  History;  during  the 
reign  of  a  Queen,  who,  great  herself,  appreciated  and 
cherished  greatness  in  others;  upon  the  eve  of 
events  in  which  his  genius  fitted  him  to  play  a  con- 
spicuous part;  surrounded  by  contemporaries  of 
various  graces  and  most  remarkable  intellect;  rep- 
resentatives of  all  the  varieties  of  human  greatness; 
statesmen,  who,  born  without  the  trappings,  were 
also  free  from  the  prejudices  of  noble  birth;  men 


6  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

of  Strong  minds^  clear  heads^  and  bold  hearts ;  who 
dismayed  by  no  difficulty^  appalled  by  no  danger^ 
wrought  out^  with  firm  purpose  and  skilful  hand, 
well  digested  schemes  for  the  advancement  and 
safety  of  the  realm.  There  were  Soldiers,  too,  who 
went  into  the  battles  of  the  time,  endued  with  much 
of  the  spirit,  if  not  clad  in  the  panoply  of  knights. 
Sussex,  generous,  impulsive  and  honest;  Essex,  the 
brilliant  and  successful  courtier — the  finished  gentle- 
man— the  accomplished  scholar — the  illustrious  com- 
mander— whose  reckless  and  impetuous  valor,  made 
war  romantic,  and  whose  career  was  hke  the  course 
of  a  shooting  star,  sudden  in  its  rise — dazzling  in  its 
zenith — gloomy  in  its  fall.  Sir  PhiHp  Sydney,  the 
Crichton  of  the  age;  a  rare  union  of  the  elegant, 
the  sterling  and  the  true ;  a  fine  writer  and  accom- 
plished soldier;  while  yet  in  his  thirtieth  year,  fa- 
mous throughout  Europe;  commemorated  by  Gro- 
tious  for  his  great  designs  and  inestimable  worth; 
esteemed  by  Elizabeth  ^^the  jewel  of  her  times," 
and,  by  the  elegant  Camden,  pronounced  ^4he  dar- 
ling of  the  learned  world'\  Over  the  copious  pages 
of  Littleton,  the  great  commentator  bent  in  learned 
contemplation.  With  earnest  heart,  and  powerful 
pen,  Hooker  labored  in  the  field  of  ethical  lore;  and 
the  father  of  the  new  Philosophy  revolved  in 
studious  seclusion,  the  startling  principles  of  the 
Novum  Organum. — Nor  was  this  period  illustrated 
alone  by  chivalry  and  dignified  by  science.  Liter- 
ature became  the  mirror  of  human  action;  and 
whilst  Spenser  sang  the  beauties  of  the  ideal  world, 
Jonson,  Fletcher  and  Beaumont;  Webster,  Marlowe, 
Decker   and   Shakspear,   produced   those    dramatic 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  7 

master-pieces   which   hold   despotic   sway  over  the 
taste  and  judgment  of  the  world. 

The  three-score  years  of  Sir  Walter  Ralegh's  life, 
were  so  crowded  with  action^  and  he  was  so  inti- 
mately connected  with  every  event  of  moment  which 
marked  the  annals  of  his  time^  that  it  is  a  task  of  no 
small  difficulty,  within  the  limits  of  an  occasion  like 
the  present,  to  avoid  being  either  prolix  or  incom- 
plete in  presenting  a  view  of  his  character.  In  our 
narrative,  therefore,  we  shall  confine  ourselves  to  the 
more  prominent  and  important  events  in  which 
he  was  an  actor;  and,  in  our  deductions  of  his 
motives  and  conduct,  present  arguments  as  condensed 
as  possible.  It  may  be  well  to  premise,  that  in  re- 
ference to  certain  points,  widely  variant  opinions  are 
entertained,  and  while  some  exalt  him  into  a  demi- 
god, others  give  him  a  far  lower  position  in  the 
scale  of  moral  greatness.  The  authorities  are  in 
many  respects  scant  and  contradictory,  and  Sir 
Walter,  himself,  furnishes  so  much  of  the  evidence, 
that,  unless  his  veracity  and  honor  are  seriously 
questioned,  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  substantiate  the 
charges  which  are  preferred  against  him.  To  what- 
ever conclusion  we  may  arrive,  however,  in  reference 
to  these  mooted  points,  it  will  be  conceded  that 
alegh  was  an  extraordinary  man,  endowed  with 
rare  faculties,  capable  of  any  achievement,  and  stand- 
ing forth  in  the  completeness  of  his  genius  and  variety 
)of  his  labors,  in  the  conspicuous  foreground  of 
History.  To  a  society,  therefore,  such  as  I  have  the 
distinguished  honor  to  address,  the  subject  is  both 
pertinent  and  interesting;  and  the  more  so  from  the 
fact,  that  the  comprehensive  mind  of  Ralegh  planned 


8  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

the  colonization  of  the  fertile  realm  of  which  our  state 
formed  part^  while  the  ships  of  his  adventurous  fleet 
were  the  first  that  swept  in  pride  over  the  waters  of 
our  own  broad  bay. 

Sir  Walter  Ralegh  appears^  for  the  first  time^  an 
actor  in  the  affairs  of  his  age^  as  a  volunteer  in  the 
gallant  band  of  gentlemen  who  fought  upon  the  side 
of  the  Huguenots^  under  the  banner  of  Henry  Cham- 
pernon.  The  five  years  of  his  service  in  France^ 
brought  him  into  contact  with  some  of  the  most  re- 
nowned leaders  of  the  time^  and  made  him  a  par- 
ticipant in  the  most  important  events  which  marked 
that  fierce  and  protracted  struggle.  Under  Lodo- 
wick  of  Nassau^  Cohgny^  and  Conde^  he  appears  to 
have  fought  in  the  memorable  battles  of  Jarnac  and 
Moncontour^  and  he  escaped  the  comprehensive 
massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew  by  taking  refuge  in  the 
house  of  the  Ambassador^  Walsingham.  Although 
he  had  not  passed  his  seventeenth  year^  he  behaved 
with  great  bravery^  and  his  allusions  in  his  History  of 
the  World^  to  the  conduct  of  these  distinguished 
leaders^  in  some  of  the  battles  referred  to,  clearly 
evince,  that  young  as  he  was,  he  already  exercised 
that  habit  of  close  observation  and  reflection,  which 
is  one  of  his  characteristics.  His  return  from  France 
after  the  death  of  Charles  IX.  was  succeeded  by 
a  short  period  of  inaction  passed  in  Chambers  in 
the  Temple.  From  his  own  account,  Ralegh  did  not, 
at  that  time,  read  law,  nor  does  it  seem  that  he 
entertained  the  idea  of  pursuing  the  profession  at  any 
subsequent  period.  His  ardent  spirit,  however,  soon 
led  him  into  more  active  fife,  and  we  find  him 
increasing  his  military  knowledge  and  rapidly  earn- 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  9 

ing  the  reputation  of  an  accomplished  soldier  in 
the  Low  Countries  which  were  then  struggling 
against  the  encroachments  of  Spain.  Amid  the  en- 
grossing duties  of  the  camp^  and  the  alluring  dissipa- 
tions of  mihtary  life^  he  was  a  regular  and  laborious 
student;  and  the  germ  of  that  vast  fund  of  learning 
which  has  contributed  to  immortalize  his  name^  is  to 
be  traced  to  the  five  hours  which  he  devoted  every 
day^  under  circumstances  so  unfavorable^  to  the  culti- 
vation of  his  mind.  This  assiduous  application  on 
the  part  of  a  young  man^  in  such  a  position^  evinces 
an  elevated  ambition^  great  self-command^  and  a 
persevering  energy^  which  are  interesting  as  the  first 
development  of  those  mental  powers  which  subse- 
quently led  to  greatness.  After  having  passed  nearly 
ten  years  in  the  career  of  arms^  and  having  ac- 
quired a  reputation  as  rare  as  it  was  honorable,  he 
joined  the  enterprise  of  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert^  who 
had  obtained  letters  patent  from  Elizabeth^  author- 
izing him  to  undertake  north-western  Discoveries, 
and  to  possess  such  lands  as  were  unsetded  by 
christian  princes  or  their  subjects. 

The  expedition  encountered,  at  the  outset,  a  severe 
storm,  or,  as  some  authors  insist,  a  superior  Spanish 
force;  and,  after  the  loss  of  a  ship,  was  driven  back 
to  port.  Before  preparation  could  be  completed  for 
a  renewal  of  the  attempt,  the  outbreak  of  war  in 
Ireland,  again  called  Ralegh  into  the  field,  and  he 
served  with  Lord  Grey  in  the  successful  resistance 
which  was  made  against  the  Spanish  forces  sent 
over  to  strengthen  the  Munster  Rebelhon.  In  this 
service  he  confirmed  the  military  reputation  acquired 
in*  France  and  the  Low  Countries,  and  came  to  be 


10  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

ranked  among  the  most  accomplished  soldiers  of  his 
times.  In  the  destruction  of  the  Spanish  fort  at 
Somerwick  he  has  been  charged  with  inhumanity; 
but  the  authorities  clearly  shew  that  his  participation 
in  the  action  was  in  obedience  to  orders^  and  that 
the  blame  must  rest  upon  the  Lord  Deputy  himself. 
The  campaign  was  pregnant  with  great  results  to 
Ralegh.  During  its  continuance  he  ingratiated  him- 
self in  the  favor  of  Leicester  and  had  a  serious 
difficulty  with  Lord  Grey.  On  his  return  to  England 
he  was  brought  under  the  immediate  notice  of  the 
Queen^  by  an  act  of  gallantry  which  is  related  by 
several  of  the  writers  of  the  period  as  a  fact^  and 
which  illustrates  at  once  the  quickness  of  Sir  Wal- 
ter's wit^  and  his  correct  appreciation  of  one  of  the 
weaknesses  of  Elizabeth's  character.  The  difficulty 
with  the  Lord  Deputy^  w^as  investigated  by  the 
Council^  and  Ralegh  defended  himself  with  such 
marked  ability^  that  the  occasion^  in  connection  with 
the  favor  of  the  powerful  earl^  gave  him  admission  to 
Court^  and  he  soon  gained  the  ear^  and  enhsted  the 
good  feehng  of  the  Queen. 

About  this  time^ — 1583^ — a  second  expedition  was 
set  on  foot  by  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert^  whose  patent 
had  nearly  expired.  Ralegh  contributed  a  ship; 
and,  in  the  capacity  of  vice-admiral,  set  sail  in 
company  with  his  brother-in-law.  Soon  after  leav- 
ing Plymouth,  however,  a  contagious  sickness  broke 
out  among  his  crew,  and  he  was  forced  to  abandon 
the  voyage  and  put  back.  The  rest  of  the  fleet 
reached  and  took  possession  of  the  coast  in  the 
vicinity  of  St.  Johns,  Newfoundland.  In  the 
succeeding  year  Ralegh  obtained  a  patent  from  the 


SIR    WALTER     RALEGH.  11 

Queen  similar  to  that  held  by  Gilbert^  and  imme- 
diately thereafter  equipped  two  barks^  the  command 
of  which  was  entrusted  to  Captains  Philip  Amadis 
and  Arthur  Barlow.  The  expedition  sailed  upon 
the  27th  April^  1584^  and  made  the  land  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Cape  Fear^  early  in  the  month  of 
July.  Barlow's  account  of  the  beauty  and  fertility  of 
the  country^  seems  to  have  delighted  the  Queen^  as 
much  as  it  gratified  Ralegh;  and  she  evinced  her 
pleasure  and  vanity  at  the  same  time^  by  bestowing 
upon  it  the  name  of  Virginia.  The  following  year  he 
despatched  a  fleet  of  seven  sail^  and  the  first  Anglo- 
American  colony  was  planted  upon  the  shores  of 
North  CaroHna^  under  the  Governorship  of  Mr. 
Ralph  Lane.  The  supplies  which  had  been  sent  out 
for  the  rehef  of  the  settlers  not  having  reached  them 
as  early  as  was  expected^  they  became  alarmed^  and 
Sir  Francis  Drake  happening  to  touch  at  Roanoke  on 
his  return  from  St.  Domingo^  they  availed  them- 
selves of  the  opportunity  and  returned  to  England.* 
Meanwhile  Ralegh  despatched  two  more  expeditions 
to  Virginia^  and  Grenville^  who  had  command  of  one 
of  them;  left  fifteen  men  at  Roanoke.  Subsequently 
he  sent  out  a  colony  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men 
under  the  charge  of  Mr.  John  White^  and^  with  him, 
twelve  assistants,  who  were  incorporated  under  the 
name  and  style  of  the  Governor  and  Assistants  of  the 
'^  Citie  of  Ralegh." — They  found  the  site  of  Lane's 
colony  overgrown  with   weeds,  and   learned  that  a 

*  Lediard,  vol.  1st,  p.  225,  says  that  Ralegh  went  over  in  this  ship  himself, 
but  neither  Smith  nor  Hakluyt  support  the  assertion.  Indeed  it  seems  clear 
that  he  never  was  in  Virginia,  unless  his  touching  at  Nev^^foundland  on  his 
return  from  the  last  Guiana  Expedition  can  be  construed  into  a  visit  to  that 
Province. 


12  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

portion  of  the  colonists  who  had  remained  had  been 
slaughtered  by  the  natives^  and  that  the  rest  were 
dispersed  through  the  country.  The  setders  fearing 
a  shortness  of  supplies,  petitioned  the  Governor  to 
return  to  England  and  take  measures  for  their  sup- 
port. On  his  arrival,  he  found  Ralegh  actively  en- 
gaged in  assisting  in  preparations  for  the  repulse  of 
the  threatened  Spanish  Invasion,  but  even  under  the 
pressure  of  his  great  engagements  he  fitted  out  a 
pinnace  and  fleet  for  the  relief  of  the  colonists,  which 
he  entrusted  to  Grenville.  Grenville  was  commanded 
by  the  Queen  not  to  leave  England  at  such  a  junc- 
ture, and  another  expedition  was  prepared.  The 
Captains  who  commanded  it  preferred,  however,  to 
cruise  for  prizes,  and  this  disobedience  of  orders  re- 
sulted in  their  capture  by  a  superior  French  force 
from  Rochelle.  The  pressing  nature  of  public  affairs 
prevented  Ralegh  from  doing  anything  further  for 
the  relief  of  the  colonists,  and  the  subsequent  descent 
upon  Spain  in  which  he  was  appointed  to  a  command 
made  it  necessary  to  assign  his  Virginia  patent  to  the 
^^  London  Company,'^  by  which  agreement  he  provi- 
ded in  the  fullest  manner  for  the  relief  of  the  setders. 

We  have  thus  minutely  traced  the  connection  of 
Ralegh  with  the  discovery  and  settlement  of  Vir- 
ginia, because  it  is  one  of  the  important  features  of 
his  history,  and  enables  us  more  correctly  to  estimate 
the  degree  of  praise  to  which  he  is  entided,  and  to 
free  him  from  the  charge  of  having  deserted  those, 
who  in  reliance  upon  his  promises,  had  setded  in  a 
strange  land. 

When  he  embarked  in  this  great  scheme,  Ralegh 
was  about  thirty  years  old.    It  is  stated  by  Oldys,  that 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  13 

while  yet  a  very  young  man^  his  favorite  studies  and 
topics  of  conversation^  were  the  discoveries  of 
Columbus,  and  the  conquests  of  Cortez,  Pizarro,  and 
other  distinguished  Spaniards  who  illustrated  the 
reigns  of  the  Emperor  Charles  and  Philip  II.  These 
great  enterprises  greatly  interested  and  strengthened 
an  imagination  naturally  ardent.  They  directed  the 
mind  of  Ralegh  into  channels  caUing  for  its  largest 
grasp,  and  offered  to  his  eager  ambition,  a  dazzling 
and  magnificent  result.  The  attention  of  the  whole 
christian  world  had  been  directed  to  the  progress  of 
discovery.  Expedition  succeeded  expedition  in  the 
search  for  that  new  route,  which  was  to  lead  to  the 
golden  realms  of  Cathay,  and  pour  the  spoils  of  the 
orient  into  the  lap  of  expectant  Europe.  The 
adventurous  navigator  spread  his  sails  to  the  winds 
that  bore  him  westward,  with  a  bold  and  hopeful 
heart,  and  the  strange  perils  of  a  long  voyage,  made 
more  fearful  by  the  smallness  of  his  ships,  and  the 
inadequacy  of  his  supplies,  were  cheerfully  borne; 
for  at  its  close  he  might  press  the  soil  of  a  virgin 
world,  and  be  the  first  to  gather  the  harvest  of  its 
incalculable  wealth.  Sir  Walter  Ralegh  was  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  of  this  band  of  ocean  Pioneers. 
A  man  of  expanded  views,  and  cultivated  mind; 
versed  in  those  sciences  which  while  they  suggested 
such  designs,  rendered  him  an  apt  agent  in  their 
successful  prosecution;  and  uniting  an  enterprising 
spirit  with  an  undaunted  heart,  all  the  energies  of  an 
ardent  and  hopeful  nature,  were  enlisted  in  an 
undertaking  worthy  of  the  man,  and  characteristic  of 
the  age.  His  views  in  engaging  in  the  cause  of  Dis- 
covery were  to  some  extent  nobler  than  those  which 


14  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

influenced  many  of  the  adventurers  of  the  time^  with 
the  most  of  whom^  even  the  greatest^  Discovery  was 
but  the  search  after  gold^ — and  Colonization^  the 
means  of  securing  it.  Commerce  unfolded  her  white 
wings  too  slowly  for  the  quick  spirit  of  adventure, 
and  her  rewards  were  not  brilliant  enough  for  ambi- 
tion^ or  speedy  enough  for  gain.  While  however 
we  believe  that  many  of  the  results  to  which  Ralegh 
looked  were  of  distant  and  gradual  development, 
such  as  the  growth  of  a  colony,  the  conversion  of 
aboriginal  tribes,  and  the  extension  of  trade,  we 
cannot  but  admit  that  perhaps  the  most  powerful 
magnet  which  drew  him  on  in  this  enterprise,  was 
the  reasonable  hope  that  the  far  land  of  whose  exist- 
ence and  position  he  had  satisfied  himself,  would 
yield  in  its  mineral  ivealth  a  more  speedy  and  brilliant 
rew^ard  for  his  laborious  and  costly  undertaking.* 
This  expectation  was  fairly  inferable  from  the  ac- 
counts of  Landoniere,  Pedro  Morales,  Burgoignon 
and  Lane,  and  was  strengthened  by  the  specimens  of 
ore  which  had  been  obtained  by  Frobisher  and  Gil- 
bert; and  we  are  justified  in  the  opinion  which  we 
express,  as  to  the  motives  of  Ralegh,  both  from  his 
immature  age,  and  the  qualities  of  mind  which  his 
previous  life  was  calculated  peculiarly  to  develop. 
Colonization  was  as  grand  an  idea  in  1589  as  in 
1584,  and  although  the  dangers  which  threatened 
England  at  the  time  of  his  assignment,  imposed  of 
necessity  a  temporary  check  upon  the  prosecution  of 
his  schemes;  yet  we  incline  to  the  opinion  that  a 
feeling  of  disappointment,  and  a  shaken  faith  in  the 
mineral  wealth  of  Virginia,  influenced  him  in  the 

*  Ralegh  expended  over  £40,000  in  his  Virginia  expeditions. 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  15 

transfer  of  his  patent^  and  prevented  his  recurring  to 
the  same  field  of  enterprise^  when^  at  the  close  of 
his  military  duties^  he  was  again  in  a  position  to  do  so. 

During  these  ^ve  years^  evidences  of  the  esteem  of 
the  people  and  the  favor  of  the  Queen  had  been 
showered  upon  Ralegh.  He  had  been  chosen  to  a 
seat  in  Parliament  from  the  shire  of  Devon.  The 
honor  of  Knighthood  had  been  conferred  upon  him 
by  the  frugal  hand  of  Elizabeth^  who  had  also 
given  him  a  lucrative  patent  for  the  vending  of  wines 
throughout  the  kingdom^  and  a  grant  of  twelve 
thousand  acres  of  the  sequestrated  estates  of  the  Earl 
of  Desmond.  He  had  been  created  Seneschal  of  the 
Duchies  of  Cornwall  and  Exeter,  Lord  Warden  of 
the  Stannaries,  and  Captain  of  the  Queen's  Guard. 
Thus,  at  an  age  w^hen  the  majority  of  men  have 
scarcely  more  than  passed  the  threshold  of  active 
life,  and  have  given  scant  evidence  of  their  abilities, 
we  find  Ralegh  in  the  full  favor  of  an  astute  and 
discriminating  monarch,  loaded  with  honors,  and 
confessedly  ranked  among  the  ablest  and  most  dis- 
tinguished men,  of  a  brilliant  Court,  and  a  great 
kingdom.  More  to  his  credit,  than  the  preferments 
themselves,  is  the  fact  that  he  deserved  them.  In  his 
case,  the  rewards  were  fairly  earned;  and  their  be- 
stowal is  attributable  to  a  just  perception  of  character 
and  qualities  marking  the  Qiieen^  rather  than  to  a 
fond  partiality  influencing  the  woman. 

The  closing  years  of  this  period  had  also  been 
filled  up  with  occupation  of  the  most  engrossing  and 
important  nature.  In  connection  with  his  brother 
Sir  Adrian  Gilbert,  and  as  one  of  the  ^^colleagues  of 
the  Fellowship  for  the  discovery  of  the  north-west 


16  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

Passage/'  he  had  engaged  with  warm  interest  and 
liberal  contribution  in  that  great  enterprise,  which, 
under  the  able  conduct  of  Captain  John  Davis,  was 
carried  on  to  so  favorable  a  result.  ,  As  a  member  of 
the  Council  of  war,  in  connection  with  some  of  the 
ablest  men  in  the  Kingdom,  he  was  charged  with  the 
responsible  duty  of  devising  plans  of  defence  against 
the  Spanish  Invasion;  and  from  the  statement  of 
their  deliberations  it  would  appear  that  he  was  a 
serviceable  and  leading  member  of  that  important 
Council.^*  The  crisis  was  the  most  fearful  that  had 
ever  occurred  in  English  history.  Sextus  V.  had 
launched  against  Elizabeth  the  thunders  of  the  Vati- 
can, and  held  up  the  sovereignty  of  England  as  the 
reward  of  the  Conqueror; — and  Philip  II.  the  most 
warlike  Prince  in  Europe,  flushed  with  victory  and 
enriched  by  conquest,  had  concentrated  the  resources 
of  his  vast  dominions  in  an  expedition  of  unparalelled 
magnitude.  The  integrity  of  the  monarchy,  the  lives 
and  liberty  of  the  people,  institutions  hallowed  by 
age,  great  principles,  and  inestimable  rights,  civil  and 
religious  freedom,  the  safety  of  person  and  the  sanc- 
tity of  home,  were  all  involved  in  the  issue  and  hung 
on  its  result.  The  whole  land  was  aroused ;  every- 
where was  consternation.  The  general  alarm  was 
manifested  in  the  universality  of  the  preparation. 
All  the  resources  of  the  kingdom,  moral  and  physi- 
cal, were  called  into  action.  Beacons  were  set  up 
on  every  highland;  fortifications  protected  every 
harbour;  armed  bands  mustered  in  every  shire,  and 
hundred  and  hamlet.  The  distinctions  of  rank  were 
forgotten.      The   prejudices  of  religion   slumbered. 

*  Oldys,  39. 


SIR     WALTER    RALEGH.  17 

The  Peer  and  the  Peasant;  the  Catholic*  and  the 
Protestant;  stood  side  by  side.  Two  gallant  fleets 
chafed  at  their  moorings;  and  eighty  thousand  men, 
earnest^  courageous  and  patriotic,  calmly  awaited 
"the  Invincible  Armada." 

Eminent  among  these  was  Ralegh ;  with  a  Sove- 
reign relying  on  his  judgment,  and  a  people  confi- 
dent in  his  valor;  with  every  attribute  called  into 
play  by  the  greatness  of  the  emergency; — now  en- 
forcing upon  the  council  some  great  scheme  for  the 
general  defence;  now  begging  for  cannon  from 
Woolwich;  now  despatching  ordnance  to  London, 
or  powder  to  Portland,  or  training  bands  of  militia  in 
Devon :  amid  the  whirl  of  excitement,  and  the  rush 
of  action,  he  was  in  an:  element  in  which  noble  minds 
shew  best; — for,  action  is  not  only  the  life  of  elo- 
quence, but  the  eloquence  of  life. 

To  the  Camp  at  Tilbury,  came  the  Queen  of 
England: — the  lion-hearted  Queen.  The  weight  of 
years,  and  the  pressure  of  the  "golden  round,''  had 
bent  her  stately  person,  but  had  not  bowed  her 
fearless  spirit.  Aged,  and  infirm,  she  came  with 
greaves,  and  helm,  and  hauberk,  veiling  her  wo- 
manhood in  the  stern  panoply  of  war;  and,  as  the 
glittering  lines  moved  in  review  before  her,  she 
addressed  them  in  a  speech,  which  is  so  full  of 
generous  confidence  and  lofty  courage,  that  we  can- 
not refrain  from  quoting  it.  "My  loving  People," 
said  she,  "we  have  been  persuaded  by  some  that  are 

*  The  Catholic  population  behaved  nobly  in  this  crisis.  The  Peers  served  in 
the  army  and  navy,  in  subordinate  capacities.  They  fitted  out  vessels  at  their 
own  expense  and  gave  the  command  to  Protestants,  encouraging  their  de- 
pendants to  lay  aside  all  distinctions  of  politics,  and  religion,  and  unite  in  the 
general  defence.— Kent,  p.  275. 


18  SIR    WALTER     RALEGH. 

careful  of  our  safety^  to  take  heed  how  we  commit 
ourself  to  armed  multitudes;  for  fear  of  treachery: 
but  I  assure  you,  I  do  not  desire  to  live  to  distrust 
my  faithful  and  loving  people.  Let  tyrants  fear;  I 
have  always  so  behaved  myself,  that,  under  God,  I 
have  placed  my  chiefest  strength  and  safeguard  in 
the  loyal  hearts  and  good  will  of  my  subjects,  and 
therefore  I  am  come  among  you,  as  you  see  at  this 
time,  not  for  my  recreation  and  disport,  but  being  re- 
solved, in  the  midst  and  heat  of  battle,  to  live  or  die 
amongst  you  all;  to  lay  down  for  my  God  and  for  my 
kingdoms  and  for  my  people,  my  honor,  and  blood, 
even  in  the  dust.  I  know  I  have  but  the  body  of  a 
weak  and  feeble  woman,  but  I  have  the  heart  and 
stomach  of  a  King,  and  of  a  King  of  England  too  : 
and  think  foul  scorn  that  Parma,  or  Spain,  or  any 
Prince  in  Europe,  should  dare  invade  the  borders  of 
my  realm. '^* 

It  is  not  essential  to  my  purpose  to  detail  the  story 
of  the  overthrow  of  this  gigantic  expedition.  It  is 
sufficient  to  say  that  Howard  and  Drake,  Hawkins, 
Frobisher  and  Seymour,  performed  prodigies  of  valor 
with  their  gallant  fleets.  In  connection  with  the 
efforts  of  man,  came  the  manifest  intervention  of 
God;  and  the  destruction  of  the  Armada  is  attribu- 
table to  a  series  of  providential  occurrences,  such  as 
the  sudden  death  of  the  Marquis  of  Santa  Cruz — the 
succession  in  command  of  the  inefficient  Duke  of 
Medina  Sidonia — the  departure  from  this  orders  of 
Philip — the  tempestuous  weather,  and  the  timely  in- 
telligence of  Fleming  the  Pirate. 

*TytIer,p.  78. 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  19 

In  1589  Ralegh  accompanied  Don  Sebastian  to 
Portugal^  and  was  engaged  against  the  Spaniards  in 
the  actions  at  Coruna;  Burgos^  Lisbon  and  Vigo. 
During  this  expedition  a  cause  of  quarrel  occurred 
between  him  and  Essex^  which  excited  the  anger 
of  the  Queen,  and  he  passed  over  into  Ireland. 
His  interview  and  friendship  with  Spenser  is  a  plea- 
sant episode  in  his  life,  and  if  time  allowed,  we 
would  wilhngly  dwell  upon  it.  It  was  beneficial  to 
the  Poet,  whom  it  introduced  favorably  to  Elizabeth 
and  other  distinguished  patrons.  His  restored  influ- 
ence was  exerted  upon  two  occasions,  to  which  we 
shall  allude  in  detail,  because  they  tend,  although  in 
a  slight  degree,  to  fill  up  that  gap  of  evidence,  as 
to  his  disposition  and  conduct  in  private  life,  which 
unfortunately  exists  in  all  his  biographies*  The  first 
was  the  case  of  Mr.  John  Udall,  a  minister  of  the 
gospel,  a  good  scholar,  and  a  zealous  puritan,  who, 
in  consequence  of  a  certain  publication  reflecting 
strongly  upon  the  habits  and  conduct  of  the  prelacy 
had  been  brought  to  the  bar  in  fetters,  on  an  indict- 
ment for  libel  against  the  Queen.  The  prosecution 
resulted  in  sentence  of  death.  Ralegh  had  been 
appKed  to  and  made  the  most  strenuous  appHca- 
tion  in  his  behalf.  The  Church  however,  was 
more  powerful  than  the  courtier,  and  the  offend- 
ing non-conformist  died  in  prison.  In  the  case  of 
Captain  Spring,  he  was  more  successful.  This  peti- 
tioner was  an  old  and  worthy  soldier  to  whom  quite 
a  large  arrearage  of  pay  was  due;  the  letter  of 
Ralegh  to  the  Lord  Treasurer's  Secretary  in  his  be- 
half, displays  the  most  hearty  interest,  and  the  peti- 
tioner gained  his  object.  A  third  and  striking  instance 
4 


20  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

occurred  in  the  generous  and  elaborate  defence  of 
the  memory  of  Sir  Richard  Grenville^  his  old  friend 
and  servitor^  from  certain  aspersions  upon  his  fame, 
connected  with  the  fight  off  the  Azores  in  1591. 
These  are  valuable  illustrations  of  Ralegh's  kindness 
of  heart  and  liberality  of  sentiment,  and  strengthen 
the  opinion,  that  had  his  friends  been  as  careful  to 
record  those  seemingly  unimportant  acts,  which  did 
him  honor,  as  his  enemies  were  assiduous  in  perpetu- 
ating those  which  tended  to  his  discredit,  we  should 
have  found  him  as  distinguished  for  generous  and 
disinterested  action  in  private  Hfe,  as  he  was  illus- 
trious for  talent  and  service  in  his  public  career. 

In  1592,  he  planned  and  carried  out,  with  the  most 
brilliant  success,  an  expedition  against  Panama  and 
the  Plate  fleet;  and  at  the  close  of  the  year,  we  find 
him  in  Parliament,  where  his  course  in  reference  to 
many  important  measures,  gave  abundant  evidence  of 
the  soundness  of  his  judgment  as  well  as  the  fervor 
of  his  patriotism. 

About  this  time,  as  Oldys  quaintly  expresses  it, 
^^Sir  Walter  Ralegh  had  not  hved  so  long  at  court, 
and  so  much  about  the  dazzling  beauties  in  it,  with- 
out having  the  wings  of  his  glory,  at  last,  somewhat 
singed  in  the  flames  thereof;"  and  the  matter  of  his 
amour  with  Ehzabeth  Throckmorton,  becoming 
known  to  the  Queen,  she  sent  him  to  the  Tower. 
The  severity  of  his  punishment  for  an  offence  of 
frequent  occurrence  at  court,  and  usually  overlooked 
altogether,  indicates  either  the  growing  power  of  his 
rival  Essex,  or  the  strong  personal  affection  of 
Elizabeth  herself.  His  imprisonment,  however,  was 
of  short  duration,  and  we  allude  to  the  means  by 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  21 

which  he  effected  his  enlargement^  not  because  we 
consider  them  derogatory  to  the  character  of  Ralegh^ 
but  as  affording  an  amusing  illustration  of  his  pro- 
ficiency in  the  highflown  language  of  the  court^  and 
of  the  fact  that  Elizabeth  was  no  Homoeopathist  in 
her  fondness  for  flattery.  It  is  narrated  by  Birch^ 
that  while  Ralegh  was  one  day  sitting  at  his  window 
in  the  Tower^  the  Queen  passed  on  a  visit  to  Sir 
George  Carew  the  master  of  the  ordonance.  Ralegh 
knew  the  weakness^  as  well  as  the  greatness^  of  his 
royal  mistress.  He  resolved  to  disguise  himself  and 
get  into  a  boat  to  see  her  majesty^  vowing  that  if 
he  were  prevented^  it  would  break  his  heart.  Sir 
George  Carew^  however^  was  too  flinty  to  be  moved 
even  by  this  touching  outbreak  of  affection^  and  a 
regular  fight  ensued  between  the  prisoner  and  his 
keeper.  The  occurrence  was  of  course  reported  to 
the  Queen^  and  together  with  the  letter  addressed  by 
Ralegh  to  Burleigh^  aided  very  materially  in  effecting 
his  release.  This  letter  is  not  the  least  curious  part 
of  the  transaction^  and  we  quote  a  portion  of  it.  It 
avows  that  he  suffers  the  torments  of  Tantalus  in  be- 
ing debarred  the  favor  of  the  Queen — and  proceeds : 
"I,  that  was  wont  to  behold  her  riding  like  Alex- 
ander— hunting  like  Diana — walking  like  Venus — 
the  gentle  wind  blowing  her  fair  hair  about  her 
cheeks  like  a  nymph — sometimes  sitting  in  the  shade 
like  a  goddess — sometimes  singing  like  an  angel — 
sometimes  playing  like  an  Orpheus!''  Addressed  to 
the  most  beautiful  of  the  sex^  this  language  might 
well  seem  a  little  exaggerated,  as  few,  even  of  the 
Divinities  whom  we  are  prone  to  adore,  combine  so 
many  rare  characters   and  qualities;   but  when  we 


22  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

learn  that  the  object  of  this  superlative  eulogy  had 
passed  her  sixtieth  year — was  wrinkled^  fretful^,  and 
uglj^  we  must  admire  the  gallantry^  as  highly  as 
we  estimate  the  ingenuity^  of  the  sighing  prisoner; 
and  admit  that  if  any  of  the  courtiers  of  the  time 
could  combine  in  a  single  sentence^  a  larger  number 
of  choice  and  classic  appeals  to  the  vanity  of  woman^ 
he  must  have  stood  high  indeed  in  the  estimation  of 
the  Virgin  Queen ! 

Released  from  the  Tower^  but  still  banished  from 
Court^  Ralegh  passed  a  short  season  of  retirement 
at  Sherborne^  devoting  his  leisure  to  useful  occupa- 
tions and  study.  The  course  of  his  reading  may  be 
inferred  from  the  nature  of  the  great  enterprise  in 
which  he  next  appears  an  actor.  We  have  already 
stated  that  he  was  thoroughly  familiar  with  the 
achievements  of  the  Spaniards  in  the  New  World^ 
and  have  alluded  to  their  influence  upon  his  ardent 
temperament.  The  wealth  which  had  flowed  into 
the  coflfers  of  Spain  and  Portugal^  from  Mexico  and 
Peru,  had  inclined  the  general  mind  to  receive  with 
the  utmost  favor^  the  accounts  which^  from  time  to 
time;,  had  been  given  of  the  more  surprising  wealth 
and  magnificence  of  the  marvellous  Empire  of 
Guiana.  Of  the  sincerity  of  Ralegh's  belief  in  the 
existence  and  riches  of  El  Dorado^  we  shall  have 
occasion  hereafter  to  offer  conclusive  evidence^  and 
we  pass^  nowj  to  the  motives  which  urged  him  to  at- 
tempt its  exploration  and  setdement.  High  in  the 
esteem  of  his  sovereign — filling  many  honorable  and 
responsible  oflices — distinguished  as  a  soldier — rank- 
ing high  as  a  scholar^  and  poet — a  statesman  of  ad- 
mitted merit^  and^  in  every  respect^  eminent  among 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  23 

the  greatest  personages  of  the  time — he  had  nearly 
run  the  career^  and  achieved  the  rewards  of  service 
at  home ;  and  ahhough^  only  in  his  forty-second  year^ 
some  great  and  untried  field  was  essential  to  the 
further  development  of  his  energies.  Guiana  offered 
that  field.  The  enterprise  peculiarly  suited  him. 
It  was  grand  in  conception^  it  would  be  arduous  in 
execution;  others  had  failed^  he  would  succeed; 
all  was  new — a  virgin  soil — an  untrodden  Empire — a 
strange  people  I  His  ambition  was  roused — he  would 
fink  his  name  with  the  golden  land — he  would  carry 
out  his  schemes  of  colonization — he  would  gratify 
to  the  utmost  his  love  of  magnificence — he  would 
restore  himself  to  the  favor  of  his  Queen^  and  set^  in 
her  regal  crown^  a  richer  jewel  than  Columbus  had 
given  unto  Spain ! 

It  may  be  interesting  to  preface  our  rapid  sum- 
mary of  the  efforts  of  Ralegh^  with  a  brief  reference 
to  the  geographical  position  of  Guiana  and  the  stories 
which  were  current  at  that  period  in  regard  to  its 
wonderful  riches.  From  an  excellent  work^  styled 
"El  DoradO;"  laboriously  prepared  by  Van  Heuvel, 
we  learn^  that  *^  Guiana  is  that  portion  of  South 
America^  extending  along  the  Atlantic  coast^  from 
the  Oronoko  to  the  Amazon^  and  is  embraced  be- 
tween these  Rivers^  which  are  united  by  the  junction 
of  the  Cassiqueara  with  the  Amazon."  Accord- 
ing to  Juan  Martinez  whose  narrative  Van  Heuvel 
quotes,  the  name^  "El  Dorado/'  which  was  applied  to 
the  City  of  Manoa^  was  derived  from  a  certain  cus- 
tom of  the  inhabitants  "who^  when  their  Emperor 
caroused  with  them^  all  those  who  pledged  him  have 
their  bodies  covered  with  a  kind  of  white  balsam^ 


24  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

and^  certain  servants  of  his^  blow  gold  dust  through 
hollow  canes  upon  them  until  they  are  all  shining 
from  head  to  foot^  and  thus  adorned^  they  do  sit 
drinking  by  twenties  and  hundreds^  and  continue  so 
sometimes  six  or  seven  days  together.  And  from 
witnessing  this^  and  from  the  abundance  of  gold 
which  he  saw  in  the  City^  the  images  of  gold  in 
the  Temples^  the  plates^  armors  and  shields  of  gold^ 
which  they  used  in  the  wars^  he  called  it  ^El  Do- 
rado.' "'  Lopez^  in  his  general  History  of  the  Indies^ 
in  his  description  of  the  Court  and  magnificence  of 
Guynacapa^  ancestor  of  the  Emperor  of  Guiana^  uses 
the  following  language: — ^^All  the  vessels  of  his 
house^  table  and  kitchen  were  of  gold^  and  silver^ 
and;  the  meanest^  of  silver  and  copper.  He  had  in 
his  wardrobe  hollow  figures  of  gold^  which  seemed 
giants^  and  the  figures  in  proportion  and  bigness  of 
all  the  beasts^  birds^  trees  and  herbs^  that  the  earth 
bringeth  forth^  and  of  all  the  fishes  that  the  sea  or 
waters  of  his  kingdom  breedeth.  He  had  also 
ropeS;  budgets,  chests  and  troughs  of  gold  and  silver. 
Finally  there  was  nothing  in  his  dominions,  whereof, 
he  had  not  the  counterfeit  in  gold.'' 

In  1594  Ralegh  despatched  Captain  Whiddon,  an 
old  and  experienced  oflScer,  to  explore  the  coast  of 
Guiana,  and  ascertain  the  chances  of  success.  The 
account  which  he  gave  upon  his  return,  of  the  beauty 
and  richness  of  the  land,  determined  Ralegh  in  the 
prosecution  of  the  enterprise,  and,  the  succeeding 
year,  he  prepared  an  expedition  and  sailed,  himself. 
His  memorial  of  the  voyage  and  its  results,  published 
soon  after  his  return,  was  coldly  received,  and  he 
was  still  denied  access  to  Court.     Not  deterred  how- 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  25 

ever^  by  this  harsh  reception,  which  sprang  less  from 
incredulity  than  malice,  he  prepared  a  third  expedi- 
tion, which,  upon  the  eve  of  departure,  he  was  obliged 
to  entrust  to  Captain  Whiddon. 

The  emergency  which  now  detained  him  in  Eng- 
land, presents  a  striking  proof  that  he  was  a  clear  and 
far-sighted  statesman,  as  well  as  a  bold  mihtary  lead- 
er.   When,  in  1588,  it  was  announced,  that  the  inde- 
fatigable Philip  of  Spain  was  making  great  prepara- 
tion for  a  second  invasion,  Ralegh  had  proposed  that 
he  should  be  anticipated  in  his  attack,  and  that  a  force 
should  be  despatched  to  burn  his  fleets  in  his  own 
harbours.     This  counsel  was  deemed  ill  advised,  and 
was  rejected;  but  the  lapse  of  eight  years  shewed  it 
to  have  been  well  conceived;  and,  in  connection  with 
Essex  and  Howard  of  Effingham,  Ralegh  was  now 
appointed  one  of  the  commanders  of  the  Cadiz  expe- 
dition, to  carry  it  into  effect.     The  enterprise  was 
crowned    with  the    most    brilliant   success.      Seven 
English   ships  engaged  and  destroyed  the  Spanish 
fleet,  numbering  fifty-five  vessels,  backed  by  the  Fort 
of  Puntal  and  the  batteries  on  shore.*     All  the  lead- 
ers behaved  with  great   bravery,   but  Ralegh   was 
most  conspicuous  for  his  valour ;  and  the  success  of 
the  attack  is  largely  attributable  to  him,  as  he  planned 
it  and  seems  to  have  been  virtusllv  the  commander  in 
chief.     When  the  city  was  taker,  Ralegh,  although 
severely  injured  by  a  splinter  wound  received  in  the 
naval  fight,  desiring  to  encourage  the  army  by  his 
presence,  caused  himself  to  be  Iprnc;  on  shore  upon 
the  shoulders  of  his   men.      U^  aftenvards   urged 
upon  Essex  the  adoption  of  measures  for  the  cap- 

*01dys,  p.  96 


26  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

ture  of  the  Plate  fleet^  which^  had  his  advice  been 
taken^  would^  in  all  probability,  have  resulted  in  the 
seizure  of  those  floating  El  Dorados.  Immediately 
on  reaching  England  he  despatched  a  fourth  expedi- 
tion to  Guiana,  under  Captain  Berrie.  Ralegh  was 
now  restored  to  favor,  and  resumed  his  place  in  a 
court,  at  that  time,  greatly  distracted  by  the  factions 
and  animosities  of  Essex  and  Sir  Robert  Cecil,  the 
Secretary  of  State. 

The  occurrences  of  the  ^^  Island  voyage,"  in  which 
Ralegh  soon  after  served  under  Essex,  added  strength 
to  the  enmity  which  had  grown  up  between  them; 
nor  did  Essex  scruple  to  poison  the  mind  of  James  of 
Scotland,  (with  whom  he  was  then  intriguing,  as  the 
probable  successor  of  Elizabeth,)  against  Sir  Walter 
among  others  who  were  inimical  to  him  at  the  English 
Court.*  The  indignation  which  such  conduct  is  cal- 
culated to  induce  in  our  minds,  must,  however,  give 
place  to  sympathy  for  the  position  of  the  doomed 
favorite  himself.  With  many  noble  qualities  and 
brilHant  characteristics,  Essex  united  a  heat  of  dis- 
position, an  impetuosity  of  manner,  an  impatience 
of  restraint,  and,  overweening  estimate  of  his  influ- 
ence with  Elizabeth,  which  led  him  on,  with  fatal  ra- 
pidity, to  his  melancholy  end.  The  long  established 
and  endeared  favorite  of  the  looman^  he  utterly  forgot 
that  he  was  no  less  the  subject  of  the  Queen.  This 
was  an  oversight  Elizabeth  would  not  readily  pardon  ; 
but  still  there  is  strong  reason  to  believe  that  Essex 
might  have  reinstated  himself  in  her  favor,  had  not  his 
impatient  disposition  led  him  to  the  commission  of 
acts,  which,  managed  as  their  representation  to  the 

*  Oldys,  p.  135.     1  Cayley,  p.  305. 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  27 

Queen  doubtless  was^  by  the  subtle  and  unscrupulous 
Cecil,  rendered  his  fate  inevitable.  His  arrest,  trial 
and  conviction  followed  in  rapid  succession,  and  the 
career  of  the  soldier  and  courtier  closed  with  the 
scaffold.* 

In  connection  with  this  event  it  becomes  necessary 
to  refer  to  a  rumour  which  was  current  at  the  time; 
and  to  which  some  writers  have  attached  importance. 
The  death  of  this  unfortunate  nobleman  was  attri- 
buted to  the  active  agency  of  Ralegh,  and  it  was 
even  urged  that  he  was  present  at  the  execution, 
that  he  might  glut  his  hatred  with  the  sight  of  the 
EarPs  sufferings.  It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  a  very 
hostile  feeling  had  for  a  long  time  existed  between 
them,  and  we  propose  very  briefly  to  sum  up  the 
evidence  in  the  matter  and  give  the  conclusion 
which  seems  fairly  deducible  therefrom.  As  we  have 
already  stated,  Ralegh  had  been  at  the  outset  of  his 
career  introduced  at  court,  and  otherwise  favored  by 
Leicester.  The  advance  of  the  protege,  however, 
was  entirely  too  rapid  for  the  patronizing  Earl,  and 
soon  outran  his  intent.  He  therefore  brought  for- 
ward his  nephew,  Essex,  to  divert  from  Ralegh  the 
favor  of  the  Queen,  and  clip  the  wings  of  the  aspiring 
courtier.  We  may  readily  suppose  that  the  nephew 
thus  introduced  upon  the  stage,  knew  the  purpose, 
and  to  some  extent  shared  the  feelings  of  his  uncle. 
It  is  certain  that  he  very  soon  manifested  an  inimical 
disposition,  which  was  strengthened  by  various 
occurrences.  In  the  expedition  of  1589,  in  favor  of 
Don  Sebastian,  Ralegh  had  the  misfortune  to  offend 

*  He  was  brought  under  the  notice  of  the  Queen  in  his  seventeenth  year, 
and  was  executed  in  his  thirty-fourth.— T^/f^er,  p.  101. 

5 


28  SIR     AV  ALTER     RALEGH. 

Sir  Roger  Williams^  who  was  an  intimate  friend  of 
Essex ;  which  so  angered  the  Earl^  that  he  brought 
Ralegh  into  temporary  disfavor  v/ith  the  Queen^  and 
drove  him  into  Ireland.*  In  the  expedition  against 
Cadiz^  in  which  they  served  together^  the  nomination 
of  Ralegh  by  the  Queen^  as  a  commander  and  one 
of  the  council  of  five  who  were  to  control  the  hot 
spirit^  and  provide  against  the  rashness  of  Essex^  the 
admiral  in  chief;  and  the  subsequent  events  of  the 
attack  and  capture  of  Cadiz^  the  matter  of  the  Plate 
fleet^  and  above  all  the  preeminent  ability  displayed 
by  Ralegh^  and  the  great  honor  which  he  gained ; 
strengthened  this  feeling  in  the  bosom  of  the  Earl. 
Subsequently  again  in  the  ^^  Island  Voyage/'  the 
accidental  separation  of  Ralegh^  and  his  gallant  cap- 
ture of  Fayall^  the  many  gross  errors  committed 
by  the  Earl^  the  undoubted  fact  that  all  the  success 
which  attended  the  expedition  was  owing  to  Ralegh^ 
the  harsh  reception  of  Essex  by  the  Queen^  who  bit- 
terly reproached  him  for  his  ill  conduct^  laying  the 
whole  blame  upon  him  and  highly  extolling  his  asso- 
ciate in  command  ;  all  these  converted  concealed  dis- 
like into  open  and  avowed  enmity^  and  Essex  availed 
himself  of  every  opportunity  to  indulge  and  display 
his  now  bitter  hostility.  The  ^Teather  Triumph/'f 
as  Camden  styles  it^  is  a  striking  illustration  of  this 
assertion^  and  the  efforts  which  he  made  to  prejudice 
the  mind  of  James,  and  finally  the  slanderous  charge, 
after  his  apprehension,  that  Ralegh  had  planned  an 
ambuscade  to  murder  him  as  he  passed  to  the  coun- 

*  Cayley,  vol.  1,  p.  109. 

t  See  Camden.    Oldys,  p.  132.    And  Clarendon,  Reliquioe  Wottonianse,  edi- 
tion of  1685,  p.  190. 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  29 

cil  chamber;*  all  shew  conclusively  that  it  was  time 
Ralegh  should  ward  off  the  blows  of  one  so  able  and 
willing  to  do  him  injury. 

The  authorities  on  the  other  hand  shew  that  Ra- 
legh^ while  he  unjustly  incurred  the  anger  of  Essex 
in  every  one  of  the  instances  to  which  we  have 
alluded^  made  every  effort  to  conciliate  and  tranquilize 
the  Earl;  in  one  case  going  almost  too  far  for  his 
honor;  as  on  the  return  from  the  Cadiz  Expedition, 
when  he  treated  him,  as  Camden  says,  ^^vith  the 
cunningest  respect,  and  the  deepest  humility" — and 
in  another  case  risking  his  life  to  serve  him;  as  in  the 
effort  to  warn  Essex  of  the  dangers  which  surrounded 
him  after  his  return  from  Ireland,  he  solicited  a  meet- 
ing with  Gorges,  and  was  four  times  shot  at  by  Sir 
Christopher  Blount,  the  friend  and  servitor  of  the 
Earl.f  His  presence  at  the  execution  of  Essex 
was  undoubtedly  official ;  as  Captain  of  the  Queen's 
Guard,  the  soldier  was  simply  at  his  post;  and,  in 
addition  to  the  entire  incompatibihty  of  the  motive, 
charged  in  the  rumour  alluded  to,  with  his  whole 
character,  we  have  his  own  declaration,  which  is 
certainly  entitled  to  be  considered.  His  celebrated 
letter  to  the  Lord  Secretary  Cecil,  which  has  been 
by  some  writers  esteemed  strong  proof  of  the  connec- 
tion of  Ralegh  with  the  condemnation  and  death  of 
Essex,  does  not  seem  to  us  to  justify  such  a  con- 
struction. He  argues  the  necessity  of  keeping  Essex 
down,  of  diminishing  his  power,  and  perhaps  even 
of  depriving  him  of  his  liberty ;  and  urges  this  upon 
Cecil,  because,  to  use  the  language  of  the  letter,  ^^the 

*  Oklys,  p.  136.         t  1  Cayley,  337.     Oldys,  136. 


30  SIR     WALTER    RALEGH. 

less  you  (Cecil)  make  him^  (Essex)  the  less  he  will 
be  able  to  harm  you  and  yours;  and  if  her  majestifs 
favor  fail  him,  he  will  again  decline  to  he  a  common 
person ;^^  and  concludes^  ^^Let  the  Queen  hold  Both- 
well  (Essex)  while  she  hath  him.  He  will  ever  be 
the  canker  of  her  estate  and  safety.  I  have  seen  the 
last  of  her  good  days  and  all  ours^  after  his  liberty. ''* 
We  are  to  estimate  the  conduct  of  Ralegh  in  this 
transaction^  both  with  reference  to  the  imminent  dan- 
ger which  the  continuance  of  Essex  in  power  would 
entail  upon  him^  and  the  somewhat  loose  morals  and 
practices  of  the  times  in  which  he  lived.  The  letter 
from  which  we  have  quoted^  was  written  with  the 
view  of  relieving  himself  from  this  danger^  and  while 
some  of  its  expressions  would  appear  to  justify  the 
opinion  that  he  counselled  the  death  of  the  Earl^ 
other  passages  shew  with  equal  clearness^  that  the 
object  in  view  could  be  attained  by  the  displacement 
of  Essex  from  his  offices^  and  the  forfeiture  of  the 
Queen's  favor^  for^  once  reduced  to  ^^a  common  per- 
son/' he  was  no  longer  to  be  feared.  This  construc- 
tion is  strengthened  by  what  Ralegh  himself  says  in 
his  last  declaration^  made  under  circumstances  of  the 
most  solemn  character.  Referring  to  this  charge^  he 
declares^  "It  is  true  I  was  of  an  opposite  faction^  but 
I  take  God  to  witness  that  I  had  no  hand  in  his  death; 
but  always  believed  that  it  would  be  better  for  me  had 
his  life  been  preserved ;  for^  after  his  fall^  I  got  the 
hatred  of  those  who  wished  me  well  before^  and  those 
who  set  me   against  him,   set  themselves  afterward 

*  This  celebrated  letter  is  given  by  Tytler  in  his  Biography  of  Ralegh,  p. 
190.  In  connection  with  it,  reference  should  be  had  to  an  extract  from  Jardine, 
quoted  in  a  note  to  the  same  page. 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  31 

against  me^  and  were  my  worst  enemies;  and 
my  soul  hath  many  times  been  grieved  that  I  was 
not  nearer  to  him  when  he  died^  as  I  understood 
afterward  that  he  asked  for  me_,  desiring  to  be  recon- 
ciled.'^* 

We  have  now  traced  Sir  Walter  Ralegh  to  the  cul- 
minating point  of  his  greatness.  From  the  position  of 
a  private  gentleman  and  a  volunteer  soldier^  we  have 
noted  his  rapid  progress  from  honor  to  honor^  until 
he  fills  a  conspicuous  page  in  the  annals  of  the  period 
he  adorned.  Placed  in  positions  which  severely  try 
the  virtue  of  men^  and  surrounded  by  enemies^  who 
hunted  for  oportunities  to  defame  him^  we  have  found 
him  worthy  and  honorable^  truthful  and  just ;  with  no 
charge  substantiated  against  him^  of  sufficient  weight 
to  lessen  admiration  or  forfeit  esteem.  This  particu- 
lar juncture  is  one  of  the  most  serious  and  interesting 
of  his  life.  A  tried  and  faithful  servant^  already  re- 
warded in  no  mean  degree  by  his  Queen^  whose  feel- 
ings toward  him  mingled  the  impulses  of  sex  with  the 
policy  of  position;  with  a  powerful  enemy^  by  a 
melancholy  fate^  removed  from  his  path^  and  but  one 
prominent  rival  left  beside  the  throne  ;  it  would  be  a 
curious  speculation  to  trace  out  the  probable  charac- 
ter and  termination  of  the  career  thus  opening  upon 
one;  whose  ambition  was  unsated  by  preferments^  and 
whose  energies  action  had  matured.  In  following 
the  severe  muse  of  history^  we  must  exchange  the 
pleasant  paths^  in  which  imagination  thus  exercised 
would  lead  us^  and  pursue  those  devious  and  gloomy 
wayS;  through  which  subtlety  and  hate^  conducted 
him  to  disgrace  and  death. 

*  See  Harleyan  MSS.    Oldys,  p.  230. 


32  SIR    WALTER     RALEGH. 

The  first  event  which  seriously  affected  the  destiny 
of  Ralegh^  was  one  of  the  utmost  moment^  not  only 
unto  him^  but  to  all  England.  In  the  seclusion  of  her 
palace  at  Greenwich^  that  '^  warm  winter  box^  for  the 
shelter  of  her  old  age^ ''  Elizabeth  was  dying.  The 
hand  that  had  swayed  the  sceptre  with  such  mascu- 
line energy^  was  growing  feeble.  The  mighty  spirit 
that  for  four  and  forty  years  had  comprehended  the 
interests  and  directed  the  concerns  of  a  great  People^ 
was  passing  away  from  earth ;  and  in  anguish  of 
mind  and  torture  of  body^  amid  the  tears  of  her  wait- 
ing ladies^  the  unconcealed  joy  of  her  intriguing  Cour- 
tierS;  and  the  honest  regret  of  her  true  subjects^  the 
enfeebled  body  of  the  aged  Queen  bent  beneath  the 
sceptre  of  the  king  of  terrors.  In  striking  accord- 
ance with  her  character^  as  far  as  it  has  been  necessary 
to  our  subject  to  portray  it^  was  her  last  interview  with 
the  Councillors^  who  troubled  her  closing  moments 
with  the  question  of  succession.  Cecily  hitherto  timid 
in  her  presence^  and  subservient  to  her  lightest  whims ; 
Cecily  whose  puhng  muse  could  not  sufficiently  paint 
the  honor  which  the  Queen  had  done  him^  when  she 
tied  his  jewelled  miniature  to  her  shoe  and  kicked  it 
about  the  room;*  Cecily  the  ^^ potent  pigmy,"  now^ 
that  the  hand  of  Death  was  visibly  upon  his  mis- 
tresS;  and  yearning  by  one  other  act  of  treachery  to 
the  dyings  to  set  himself  more  firmly  in  the  graces  of 
her  successor^  was  bold  and  peremptory.  Her  com- 
phance  with  the  wishes  of  the  Council  was  urged 
upon  her  at  a  moment  when  it  was  cruelty^  and  in  a 
manner  which  made  it  insult.  ^^  Her  throat, "  says 
the  narrator,  ''  troubling  her  much,  they  desired  her 

*  Miss  Strickland's  Queens  of  England,  p.  219. 


SIR     WALTER    RALEGH.  33 

to  hold  up  her  finger  when  they  named  whom  she 
liked^  whereupon  they  named  the  ^King  of  France;' 
(this  was  to  try  her  intellect^)  she  never  stirred :  the 
^King  of  Scotland;'  she  made  no  sign:  then  they  named 
^the  Lord  Beauchamp' — this  was  the  heir  of  Sey- 
mour, whose  rights  were  derived  from  his  mother, 
Lady  Catharine  Grey,  one  of  the  most  unfortunate  of 
Elizabeth's  victims.  "  This  last  drop  was  too  much, 
her  glazing  eye  flashed  with  the  old  Tudor  fire; 
her  shrunken  form  started  up  from  the  couch,  and 
in  fierce  and  haughty  tones  she  broke  forth  :  '^  I  told 
you  that  my  seat  had  been  the  seat  of  Kings.  1  will 
have  710  rascal  succeed  me.  Trouble  me  no  more.  He 
who  comes  after  me  must  be  a  King.  I  will  have 
none  but  our  cousin  of  Scotland  !"* 

Alas  for  Ralegh  !  the  parting  soul  of  the  queenly 
suflferer  was  ?mprophetic,  and  a  '^  rascal "  did  succeed 
her,  albeit  in  the  person  of  "our  cousin  of  Scotland!" 

The  contrast  between  the  two  sovereigns  is  ex- 
ceedingly marked  and  striking.  History,  while  she 
presents  to  our  observation,  very  few  such  women  as 
Elizabeth,  unfortunately  abounds  in  such  men  as 
James.  She  was  distinguished  by  many  of  the  best 
characteristics  of  his  sex.  He,  was  a  strange  blend- 
ing of  the  worst  weaknesses  of  hers.  Her  intellect^ 
strengthened  by  exercise,  and  enriched  by  education, 
rapidly  expanded  and  matured;  embracing,  with  equal 
facility,  the  difl[icult  problems  of  philosophy,  the  hid- 
den beauties  of  literature,  and  the  serious  questions 
of  state.  His  mind,  ever  subservient  to  his  ruling 
weakness,  was  stored  with  scraps,  and  phrases,  and 
superficiahties ;   and  the  small  stock  of  the  solemn 

*  Cotton  MS.    Tytler,  p.  22L     Strickland. 


34  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

pedant,  was  paraded  with  all  the  trickery  of  the  royal 
buffoon.  Her  comprehension  was  enlarged;  his  con- 
tracted; her  perception  of  character  w^as  acute  and 
correct; — the  little  he  possessed,  was  blunted  by  pre- 
judice and  warped  by  partiality.  With  her,  the  fa- 
vorite never  ceased  to  be  the  subject;  with  him,  the 
pet  of  the  moment,  was  the  master  of  the  King.  Her 
ministers  were  chosen  from  the  wisest,  her  command- 
ers from  the  bravest,  and  her  judges  from  the  most 
learned  of  the  realm ;  and  the  claims  of  the  applicant 
for  office  were  guaged  by  his  ability  to  discharge  its 
duties.  Of  the  band  that  surrounded  his  throne,  the 
most  distinguished  were  old  servants  of  hers,  while 
the  most  infamous,  were  creatures  of  his  own  making. 
Her  courageous  spirit  rode  in  armour  through  the 
lines  at  Tilbury;  his  craven  soul  drove  him  trembling 
behind  his  attendants,  at  the  gleaming  of  a  dagger. 
To  the  deliberations  of  the  council  chamber,  she 
brought  extensive  information,  and  sensible  speech. 
He  wearied  his  ministers  w^ith  crude  notions  of  king 
craft,  and  fragments  of  delectable  latin.  As  a  Queen, 
she  was  frugal  almost  to  parsimony,  of  the  pubhc 
money,  while  she  indulged  a  woman's  fondness  for 
splendour  and  display.  He,  poor  in  pocket,  as  in 
spirit,  borrowed  spoons  for  his  marriage  feast;  re- 
ceived ambassadors  in  the  stockings  of  the  Earl  of 
Marr,*  and  counted  over,  inventory  in  hand,  the 
jewels  of  his  ^^beloved  wife,"  before  she  had  been 
two  days  dead  If  The  position  of  Ralegh,  under  the 
new  monarch,  was  alike  dangerous  and  unpleasant.J 

*  Miss  Strickland's  Queens  of  England,  p.  260. 

t  Ibid.  369. 

I  "James  feared  and  hated  him." — Beaumont,  Depeche,  of  Dec.  18. 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  35 

The  representations  of  Essex  and  Cecil  had  long 
before  prejudiced  the  mind  of  James  against  him  ;* 
and  the  feeling  thus  engendered^  gained  bitterness 
and  strength  from  many  circumstances.  Ralegh  had 
been  to  some  degree  connected  with  the  death  of 
the  unfortunate  Mary; — a  prominent  personage  in 
the  Court  of  Elizabeth,  he  had  not  only  disdained 
to  intrigue  before  the  Queen's  death,  for  the  favor 
of  ^^our  cousin  of  Scotland:"  but  in  a  large  meet- 
ing held  in  London  soon  after  that  event,  he  had 
urged  that  James  be  obliged  to  subscribe  to  articles, 
and,  rumour  added,  that  he  even  advocated  bolder 
and  more  startling  measures. f  With  all  the  vehe- 
mence of  his  nature  he  had  opposed  the  peace  with 
Spain,  and  offered  the  King,  who  shrunk  in  horror 
from  such  a  project,  to  raise  two  thousand  men,  and, 
at  his  own  cost,  invade  the  territory  of  his  ancient 
foe.  It  was  perfectly  natural  that  the  timid  James 
should  recoil  from  such  a  man,  whose  fiery  disposition 
and  large  designs,  were  so  repugnant  to  his  own  con- 
tracted  views   and   pusillanimous  soul.J      The  two 

*  Carte,  vol.  3,  p.  709.     Tytler,  p.  225. 

t  1  Cayley,  p.  357.     Oldys,  p.  150. 

X  The  following  striking  illustration  of  the  cowardly  nature  of  James,  is  taken 
from  a  MS.  volume,  which  formerly  belonged  to  John  Randolph  of  Roanoke, 
and  which  has  never  been  published.  It  is  entitled,  "  The  Ancient  Records  of 
the  Colony  of  Virginia,  under  the  Treasurer  and  Company.  "  For  the  extract 
I  am  indebted  to  the  kindness  of  Gustavus  A.  Myers,  Esq.,  a  distinguished 
member  of  the  Richmond  Bar. 

EXTRACT 

From  "  The  Ancient  Records  of  the  Colony  of  Virginia,  under  the  Treasurer 
and  Company." 
"At  a  Quarter  Court,  held  for  Virginia,  at  Mr.  Farrar's,  in  St.  Sithe's  Lane, 
the  17th  of  May,  1620,  one  Mr.  Kerkham,  agent,  sent  from  the  King,  presented 
himself  to  the  Board,  and  signified  to  the  Court,  that  his  Majesty,  understand- 
ing of  the  election  of  their  Treasurer,  which  they  intended  this  day  to  make 
choice  of,  out  of  an  especial  care  and  respect  he  hath  to  that  plantation,  hath 
required  him  to  nominate  unto  them  four,  out  of  which  his  pleasure  is,  the 

6 


36  SIR    WALTER     RALEGH. 

men  were  in  every  respect  antagonistic.  The  very 
characteristics  which  endeared  Ralegh  to  Elizabeth^ 
made  him  odious  to  her  successor;  and^  while  the 
service  of  the  one^  afforded  him  constant  opportunities 

Company  should  make  choice  of  one  to  be  their  Treasurer :  That  was,  Sir 
Thomas  Smith,  Sir  Thomas  Roe,  Mr.  Alderman  Johnson,  and  Mr.  Maurice 
Abbott,  and  no  other. 

"  Sir  Edwin  Sandys,  their  then  Treasurer,  proceeded  to  make  an  elaborate 
report  of  the  transactions  of  the  Company  during  the  preceding  year,  and  deliv- 
ering up  his  office  together  with  the  seals,  he  desired  the  Court  to  proceed  in 
the  election  of  their  Treasurer,  according  to  the  message  lately  received  from 
his  Majesty,  and  thereupon  withdrew  himself  out  of  Court. 

"  Upon  which  this  Great  and  General  Court  found  themselves,  upon  a  delib- 
erate consideration  of  the  matter,  at  an  exceeding  pinch;  for  if  they  should  not 
do  as  the  King  had  commanded,  they  might  incur  suspicion  of  defect  in  point 
of  duty,  from  which  they  protested  they  were  and  would  be  free ;  on  the  other 
side,  if  they  should  proceed  according  to  the  limits  of  that  message,  they  suffer- 
ed a  great  breach  into  their  privilege  of  free  election,  granted  to  them  by  his  Majes- 
ty's Letters  Patent,  u-hich  they  held  fit  rather  to  lay  down  with  all  submission  and 
duty  at  his  Majesty's  feet,  than  to  be  deprived  of  their  privilege.  The  election  was 
therefore  adjourned  to  the  '  next  Great  and  General  Court,  some  six  weeks 
hence,'  and  till  they  understood  the  King's  further  pleasure  ;  and  in  the  inter- 
im they  entreated  the  Right  Honorable  the  Lord  of  Southampton,  Viscount 
Doncaster,  the  Lord  Cavendish,  the  Lord  Sheffield,  Sir  John  Davis,  and  others, 
all  members  of  the  Company,  to  meet  and  determine  of  an  humble  answer  to 
his  Majesty's  message  and  to  deliver  to  him  a  true  information,  as  well  of  the 
former  as  of  this  latter  year's,  of  the  business  for  Virginia,  beseeching  also,  that 
his  Majesty  would  be  pleased  not  to  take  from  them  the  privilege  of  their  Let- 
ters Patent,  but  that  it  might  be  in  their  own  choice  to  have  free  election. 

"  At  a  Great  and  General  Quarter  Court,  held  in  the  afternoon,  at  Mr.  Far- 
rar's  house,  the  28th  of  June,  1620,  the  Earl  of  Southampton  acquainted  the 
Court,  that  himself  with  the  rest  of  the  Lords  and  Gentlemen,  requested  there- 
unto by  the  last  Quarter  Court,  had  presented  their  humble  desires  to  his  Ma- 
jesty for  the  free  election  of  their  Treasurer ;  whereunto  his  Majesty  had  most 
graciously  condescended,  signifying  unto  them,  that  it  would  be  pleasing  unto 
him  if  they  made  choice  of  such  an  one  as  might,  at  all  times  and  occasions, 
have  free  access  unto  his  Royal  person,  and  further  declaring  that  it  was  the  mis- 
taking of  the  messenger,  having  not  received  the  message  immediately  from  his  own 
Royal  mouth,  to  exclude  them  from  the  liberty  of  choosing  any  but  the  four  nomi- 
nated, whom  his  majesty's  intent  was  indeed  to  recommend,  but  not  so  as  to  bar 
the  Company  from  the  choice  of  any  other. 

"  Whereupon  the  whole  Court  tendered  to  his  Majesty  all  humble  thanks, 
and  ordered  that  by  writing  it  should  be  signified  to  his  Majesty. 

"  The  Earl  of  Southampton  was  thereupon  immediately,  with  much  joy  and 
applause,  nominated  Treasurer,  and  elected  unanimously,  by  erection  of  hands, 
the  ballot  box  being  '  surceased'  in  honor  to  him." 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  37 

of  greatness^  the  disposition  and  policy  of  the  other^ 
closed  all  the  avenues  by  which  he  could  achieve  it. 
In  addition  to  the  dislike  of  the  King^  for  these  rea- 
sons^ Cecily  the  undoubted  enemy  of  Ralegh^  stood 
next  the  throne^  and  his  influence  was  exerted 
against  him.  His  enmity  was  greatly  increased  by 
certain  disclosures  which  Ralegh  made  to  the  King; 
after  Cecil  had  effected  his  displacement  from  the  cap- 
taincy of  the  Guard;  in  which  he  charged  upon  the 
Secretary  the  whole  onus  of  the  Essex  matter^  and 
revealed  his  active  agency  in  the  execution  of  the 
King's  mother.^ 

With  this  statement  of  Ralegh's  position  at  Court, 
we  come  to  the  consideration  of  his  connection 
with  "  the  Spanish;  or  Lord  Cobham's  Treason. " 
The  principal  parties  to  this  plot  were  George  Brooke 
and  Lord  Cobham.  Their  object  was  to  seat  the 
Lady  Arabella  Stewart  on  the  throne,  of  which  they 
purposed  dispossessing  James. f  Spain  was  to  fur- 
nish the  ^^  sinews  of  war,"  and  send  a  large  invading 
force  to  assist  the  conspirators  in  carrying  out  their 
designs.  Coincident  with  this  scheme,  in  point  of 
time,  was  the  ^^  Plot  of  the  Priests,"  the  object  of 
which  was,  to  seize  the  king's  person,  and  force  him 
to  remodel  his  Ministry  in  accordance  with  their 
wishes,  and  grant  a  full  toleration  of  religion.  Be- 
sides the  Priests,  Watson  and  Clarke ;  Brooke,  the 
brother  of  Cobham;  Sir  Griffin  Markham,  Copeley  and 
Lord  Grey,  were,  also,  engaged  in  this  treason.     A 

*  Beaumont,  Depeche,  May  2nd  and  Aug.  13th.  Wellwood's  notes  on 
Wilson,  Comp.  Hist,  of  Eng.,  vol.  11,  pp.  663,  664.  1  Cayley,  355.  Heylen's 
Examen  Historicum,  p.  170.     Oldys,  740. 

t  Beaumont,  Depeche,  May  12th,  June  13th,  July  30th,  1603,  quoted  in  the 
Edinburg  Review,  April,  1840. 


38  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

disclosure^  made  by  Copeley  to  his  wife,  and  com- 
municated to  Cecil,*  led  him  to  suspect,  says  Oldys, 
that  Cobham  was  concerned  in  it  as  well  as  his 
brother  Brooke ;  and  as  Cobham  was  at  that  time  in 
frequent  communication  with  Ralegh,  who  was  set- 
tling his  Lordship's  estate,  the  Minister  suspected 
Ralegh,  and  had  him  examined  before  the  Privy 
Council,  touching  the  ^^  surprising  treason,"  as  the 
plot  of  the  Priests  was  called,  and,  particularly,  as  to 
Cobham's  connection  with  it.  The  statements  of 
Ralegh  acquitted  Cobham,  and  he  closed  his  exami- 
nation, by  remarking  to  the  Council,  that  ^^  whatso- 
ever correspondence  there  was  between  Cobham  and 
Aremberg,  Laurencie  could  better  give  an  account  of 
it,"  and  therefore  advised  that  an  application  should 
be  made  to  him.f  This  Matthew  de  Laurencie  was 
a  merchant  of  Antwerp,  an  attendant  on  the  Count 
D'Aremberg,  at  that  time,  representing  at  London, 
the  Governor  of  the  Netherlands  and  the  King  of 
Spain ;  and  he  was  the  channel  of  all  Cobham's 
treasonable  communications.  When  Ralegh  left  the 
Council  Chamber,  he  sent  a  message  to  Cobham, 
stating  that  '^he  was  examined  and  had  cleared  him 
of  all ;"  and  Lawrence  Keymis,  a  servant  of  Ralegh's, 
who  bore  the  message,  seems  to  have  added  without 
authority,  '^  to  be  of  good  cheer,  for  that  one  witness 
would  not  condemn  him. "J  Cobham  was  soon  after- 
ward examined  in  person,  and  resolutely  asserted 
that  neither  himself  nor  Ralegh,  were  connected  with 
any  treasonable  practices;  yet  the  Council  resorted  to 

*  Hallam's  Constitutional  History,  vol.  1,  p.  483.     Beaumont,  Depeche,  De- 
cember 6th. 
t  Sherley's  Ralegh,  p.  110.     Oldys,  p.  153. 
X  Sherley,  p.  140. 


SIR     WALTER    RALEGH.  39 

a  tricky  by  which  Cobham  was  induced  to  think  that 
Ralegh  had  impeached  and  betrayed  him ;  and  in  the 
heat  of  passion^  he  declared^  ^^  that  he  had  intended 
to  confer  with  the  Arch  Duke^  and  to  go  from  him 
into  Spain;  to  borrow  of  the  King  six  hundred  thous- 
and crowns^  which  were  to  be  distributed  among  the 
discontented  in  England,  under  the  advice  of  Ralegh^ 
whO;  he  affirmed;  had  instigated  him  to  these  courses. 
This  confession  he  would  not  even  subscribe^  but  in 
fact  retracted  it  entirely ^  before  he  had  got  to  the  foot 
of  the  stairs.^ 

Upon  this  flimsy^  passionate,  and  retracted  charge ; 
the  enemies  of  Ralegh  procured  his  arraignment  for 
treason.  The  indictment  charged  him  ^^vith  conspir- 
ing to  deprive  the  king  of  his  government — to  raise 
up  sedition  in  the  realm — to  alter  religion — to  bring  in 
the  Roman  superstition,  and  to  procure  foreign  ene- 
mies to  invade  the  kingdom,  and  that  for  his  services 
in  this  treason,  he  was  to  receive  eight  thousand 
crowns  from  Spain. f'  The  trial  of  this  great  man 
on  this  indictment,  is  one  of  the  foulest  blots  upon 
the  page  of  English  history.  Conducted  in  a  manner 
which  cannot  fail  to  excite  the  warmest  indignation, 
in  all  who  peruse  its  record;  the  gross  injustice 
which  marked  it,  has  been  universally  admitted;  and; 
the  event  itself  is  so  familiar  to  all,  that  I  would  per- 
haps weary  you,  by  giving  its  details.  Suffice  it  to 
say  that  the  whole  case  against  Ralegh  rested  upon 
the  evidence  of  the  Lord  Cobham,  a  craven  accuser, 

*  See  "  Arraignment  of  Ralegh,"  p.  97.  Sir  Toby  Matthew's  Coll.  of  Let- 
ters, Ed.  1660,  p.  2S1.     Beaumont.    Carte.     Overbury. 

t  Extract  from  indictment.  Oldys,  p.  232.  For  full  report  of  the  Trial  refer 
to  State  Trials.  East's  Pleas  of  the  Crown.  SirThos.  Overbury's  arraignment, 
and  Jardine. 


40  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

and  forsworn  witness;  who^  affirming  the  truth  of  his 
charges  ^^upon  his  souPs  salvation/'  falsified  them  so 
often^  by  counter  statements,  that  Ralegh  might  well 
exclaim  in  scorn  :  '^  Now  I  wonder  how  many  souls 
this  man  hath.  He  damns  one  in  this  letter,  and 
another  in  that  !''*  His  last  declaration  in  evidence 
in  the  case,  is  a  letter  addressed  by  him  to  Ralegh, 
which  is  worth  quoting.  It  runs  thus — ^^  Seeing 
myself  so  near  my  end, — for  the  discharge  of  my 
conscience  and  freeing  myself  from  your  blood, 
which  else  will  cry  vengeance  against  me, — I  protest 
upon  my  salvation,  I  never  practised  with  Spain  by 
your  procurement.  God  so  comfort  me  in  this  my 
affliction,  as  you  are  a  true  subject,  for  any  thing 
that  I  know.  I  will  say  with  Daniel,  ^^purus  sum  a 
sanguine  hujus,''  so  God  have  mercy  on  my  soul,  as  I 
know  no  treason  by  yoii.^^^ 

This  letter,  which  was  evidently  wrung  from  Cob- 
ham  by  the  pangs  of  a  conscience  which  enforced  the 
demand  of  Ralegh  that  he  should  justify  him,  is  cer- 
tainly entided  to  as  much  weight  as  his  counter 
declarations,  made  through  constraint,  trickery,  or 
passion;  especially,  when  Ralegh,  who,  throughout 
the  trial,  had  begged  to  be  confronted  with  his 
accuser,  said :  "  that  he  would  acknowledge  the 
whole  indictment,  if  Cobham,  once  brought  before 
his  face,  would  repeat  any  one  of  the  matters  he  had 
confessed. ''  This  legal  right,  however,  was  harshly 
denied,  although  Cobham  was  the  whole  time  in  an 
adjoining  room. J     It  formed  no  part  of  the  plans  of 

*  Oldys,  p.  249. 

t  Vide,  Oldys,  p.  259. 

t  Vide,  Appendix  to  Oldys.     Sir  Toby  Matthew's  Letters,  p.  283, 


SIR     AV  ALTER     RALEGH.  41 

those  who  were  laboring  to  destroy  Ralegh^  that  the 
dastardly  nobleman^  whom  they  knew  to  be  falsi- 
fying, should  be  subjected  to  the  rack  of  his  cross 
examination: — his  various  statements  were  contradic- 
tory enough  as  it  was,  and  sufficiently  weakened 
their  case,  without  confronting  him  with  one  whom 
he  was  so  deeply  injuring,  and  who  would  have 
forced  from  him  the  truth.  The  eloquent  and  inge- 
nious argument  of  Ralegh,  upon  his  right  to  be  con- 
fronted with  his  accuser,  was  not  refused  in  conse- 
quence of  the  repealing  statutes  of  Edward  III.  and 
VI.  as  urged  by  Coke ;  but,  the  true  reason  is  em- 
bodied in  a  remark  made  by  the  king  himself,  who, 
when  he  heard  that  the  request  had  been  denied 
by  the  judges,  said :  that,  ^' could  Cobham  have  spoken 
anything  against  Ralegh ,  they  would  have  brought  him 
from  Constantinople  J  to  accuse  himP^^  The  conduct 
of  Coke,  the  king's  attorney,  was  disgraceful  to  the 
position  he  occupied — to  the  sovereign  he  repre- 
sented— to  the  profession  to  which  he  belonged — the 
age  in  which  he  lived — and  the  manhood  he  shamed. 
He  was,  throughout  the  trial,  ungenerous  and  unjust ; 
overbearing  and  cruel ;  brutal  and  insolent.  The 
demeanour  of  Ralegh,  on  the  contrary,  was,  in  the 
highest  degree,  dignified  and  manly;  his  bearing, 
was  that  of  an  innocent  man — his  defence,  that  of  an 
able  lawyer.  The  ingenuity  displayed  by  him  in  the 
conduct  of  his  difficult  cause,  is  very  remarkable; 
and  the  cogency  of  his  arguments,  the  quickness  of 
his  perception,  the  dexterity  of  his  management,  and 
the  eloquence  of  his  appeal,t  would  have  satisfied 

*  Observations  on  Sanderson's  History,  4  vol.  p.  8.      2d  Cayley,  p.  28. 
t  Hardwick's  State  Papers,  vol.  1,  p.  379. 


42  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

an  unprejudiced  tribunal^  of  his  perfect  innocence  in 
view  of  the  evidence  adduced.  But^  unfortunately 
for  him^  the  fiat  had  gone  forth ;  and  those  whom  he 
addressed  were  but  the  ministers  selected  to  register 
the  decree.  Venality  soiled  the  ermine  of  the  judge^ 
and  power  controlled  the  decision  of  the  jury.  The 
former  pronounced  his  doom  with  as  much  alacrity 
as  he  had  formerly  shewn  in  taking  purses  on  the 
highway^  or  bribes  upon  the  bench  f  and  the  latter 
in  their  eagerness  to  perform  their  part  well^  overdid 
it;  so  that  the  malignant  Coke^  when  he  heard  that 
they  had  found  him  guilty  of  treason^  exclaimed  to 
the  messenger;  ^^ surely  thou  art  mistaken^  I  imjself 
only  accused  him  of  misprison  of  treason  P^\ 

The  only  inquiry  which  is  necessary  for  us  to  insti- 
tute in  regard  to  this  plot^  is  the  extent  of  Ralegh's 
connection  with  it^  and  the  question  of  his  moral  guilt. 
These  two  matters  rest  upon  the  evidence  of  Cobham^ 
and  the  declaration  of  Beaumont^  the  representative^ 
at  that  time,  of  the  Court  of  France.  Cobham 
charged^  that  Ralegh  had  instigated  the  treason^ 
knew  of  its  progress^  and  was  to  share  in  its  re- 
sults. Beaumont^  stated  his  belief  in  Ralegh's  con- 
nection with  the  plot ;  a  conclusion  to  which  he  seems 
to  have  arrived^  mainly  upon  the  strength  of  certain 
conversations  which  he  had  with  King  James^  and 
from  documents  which  that  disinterested  personage 
had  submitted  to  his  inspection. J      Now  as  to  the 

*  For  several  years  he  addicted  himself  but  little  to  the  study  of  the  law,  but 
to  profligate  company ;  and  was  wont  to  take  a  purse  with  them.  This  Judge 
had  a  noble  house,  park  and  manor,  for  a  bribe  to  save  the  life  of  one  con- 
demned for  child  murder."     Vide,  Aubrey's  Lives,  vol.  2,  pp.  492,  493. 

t  Cayley,  vol.  2,  p.  29. 

X  Beaumont,  Depeche,  Gth  Dec,  1603— Quoted  in  Edinburg  Rev.,  Ap.,  1840. 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  43 

testimony  of  Cobham^  it  is  wholly  worthless.  His 
vascillation^  prevarication^  and  falsehood  have  been 
already  alluded  to^  and  we  will  briefly  mention  some 
other  reasons  for  rejecting  his  declarations  altogether. 
He  was  notoriously  infirm  of  character^  and  easily 
swayed  by  others.  Upon  his  trial  he  behaved  in  so 
cowardly  a  manner — now  making  assertions^  and  in 
the  same  breath  denying  them;  now  trembling  in  his 
place  with  fear^  and  anon  supplicating  the  Judges 
with  tears ;  and  displaying^  throughout^  so  mean  and 
abject  a  spirit^ — that  the  writers  of  the  period  speak 
of  his  trial  as  '^  such  a  fasting-day's  piece  of  work  as 
discredited  the  place  to  which  he  was  called/'  and 
they  treat  him  with  evident  contempt.*  His  conduct 
upon  the  scaffold^  to  which^  together  with  Markham 
and  Grey^  he  was  conducted^  as  a  part  of  the  solemn 
farce  which  the  ^^  royal  humorist/'  who  had  before- 
hand determined  to  spare  their  lives^  intended  them 
to  play^  was  of  a  very  different  character.  He  as- 
cended with  good  assurance  and  contempt  of  death^ 
bore  himself  very  bravely^  and  so  out-prayed  the 
Minister  and  the  company^  that  the  byestanders^ 
alluding  to  his  different  behaviour  on  the  two  occa- 
sions^ said^  ^^  he  had  a  good  mouth  in  a  cry^  but  was 
nothing  single."!  He  concluded  his  performance^  by 
reasserting  all  the  charges  he  had  made  against 
Ralegh^  and  having  thus  done  the  very  thing  for 
which,  perhaps,  he  had  been  placed  on  the  scaflfold, 
his  pardon  was  announced,  and  he  was  led  away. 
His  courage  on  this  occasion  is  readily  understood, 
when  we  learn  that  he  had  beforehand  been  advised 

*  Hardwick's  State  Papers,  vol.  1,  p.  377.    Cayley,  vol.  11,  p.  13. 
t  Ibid.  p.  23. 

7 


44  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

that  his  life  was  perfectly  safe.  Any  importance; 
however^  which  might  attach  to  his  statements^  is 
disposed  of  by  the  declaration^  by  Mrs.  Thomson^  of 
the  fact;  that  several  years  afterward;  at  the  inter- 
cession of  Ralegh;  he  was  called  out  of  the  Tower 
and  re-examined  in  the  presence  of  the  Queen, 
when  he  made  a  last;  solemn,  and  full  recantation 
and  retraction  of  everything  he  had  uttered  against 
his  illustrious  victim.* 

As  to  the  testimony  of  Beaumont;  it  is  certainly 
entitled  to  weight;  but  it  is  nevertheless  fair  to  esti- 
mate it  with  reference  to  the  circumstances  under 
which  his  opinion  was  formed.  If  he  had  no  better 
authority  for  believing  the  charges  against  Ralegh, 
than  the  declarations  of  James  and  such  documents 
as  he  submitted  to  him;  then  it  is  fair  to  conclude 
two  things :  first;  that  the  evidence  which  influenced 
his  mind  was  either  the  same  as  that  brought  out  at 
the  trial;  the  character  of  which  we  have  already 
considered;  and;  secondly;  that  any  proof  of  Ralegh's 
guilt;  which  may  have  been  in  the  possession  of  the 
King;  a7id  not  used  in  Court,  must  have  been;  if 
possible;  still  more  flimsy  and  unsatisfactory; — for 
JameS;  as  his  subsequent  conduct  will  undoubtedly 
prove;  was  mean  and  mendacious  enough  to  adopt 
any  course;  calculated  to  destroy  the  man  whom  he 
hated  so  bitterly.  BesideS;  the  Minister  of  France 
lived  at  Court;  moved  constantly  and  famiharly  in  the 
circle  of  royalty;  and  was  very  likely  to  adopt  such 
opinions  as  were  current  and  popular  in  that  society. 
On  the  whole;  we  cannot  beheve  that  Ralegh  was 
connected  with  the  treason;  beyond  the  error  which 

t  Mrs.  Thomson's  Life  of  Sir  W.  R.  p.  ISO.— Am.  Ed. 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  45 

he  committed  in  listening  to  the  first  disclosure  of 
Cobham  in  relation  to  the  proposed  pension.  This 
matter^  he  insists,  ^^was  only  mentioned  to  him  once; 
and,  for  three  weeks  after,  he  heard  no  more  of  it" — 
that  he  did  not  think  that  Cobham  had  any  commis- 
sion to  offer  it — and  that  he  deemed  the  conversation 
of  so  httle  account,  that  he  did  not  even  remember  it 
until  it  was  used  against  him  on  the  trial.  In  his  let- 
ter to  James,  he  says :  ^^For  my  part,  I  protest  before 
the  ever  living  God,  that  I  never  intended  treason, 
consented  to  treason,  ov  performed  treason.  Lost  am  I 
for  only  hearing  a  vain  man;  for  hearing  only — never 
beheving  or  approving.'^ 

A  very  able  writer  in  the  Edinburgh  Review  for 
April,  1840,  after  reviewing  the  circumstances  of  this 
case,  and  laying  much  stress  upon  the  testimony  of 
Beaumont,  concludes,  that  ^^it  would  be  more  ra- 
tional to  believe  that  Ralegh  was  icholly  guilty  (that 
is,  a  direct  participator  in  the  designs  of  Cobham 
and  Brooke,)  than  that  he  was  wholly  innocent  (that 
is,  wholly  uninformed  of  the  nature  and  objects  of 
his  intercourse  with  Aremberg.") 

Now  we  find  it  impossible  to  adopt  this  conclu- 
sion, for  several  very  strong  reasons.  In  the  first 
place,  Ralegh  had  been,  all  his  life,  a  most  strenuous 
and  indefatigable  enemy  of  Spain;  he  had  repeatedly 
perilled  his  hfe  against  her;  he  had  cut  up  her  com- 
merce, burned  her  fleets,  sacked  her  towns,  written 
against  her  policy,  humbled  her  pride,  and  expended 
over  c£40,000  (nearly  his  whole  estate)  in  enterprises 
against  her  King  and  people.  On  the  accession  of 
James,  he  addressed  him  a  powerful  work,  in  which 
he    exposed    the  designs   and    weakness   of  Spain; 


46  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

counselling  his  Majesty  to  continue  offensive  mea- 
sures against  her^  and  volunteering  an  army^  at  his 
own  cost,  for  his  assistance.  Although  he  may  have 
been  a  discontented  man,  it  does  seem  to  us  that  the 
idea  of  applying  to  Spain,  to  send  an  army  to  invade 
England — of  receiving  from  Spain  a  beggarly  pen- 
sion, and  of  uniting  with  a  Nation,  in  contests  against 
which  he  had  won  all  his  laurels, — is  a  very  improba- 
ble, if  not  a  preposterous  idea.  Secondly.  Ralegh 
was  a  person  of  keen  foresight,  great  comprehension, 
singular  tact,  and  thorough  knowledge  of  the  men 
and  the  times.  He  was  an  individual  who  prided 
himself  ^^on  swaying  all  men's  courses;" — he  was 
a  leader  even  among  leaders; — and, — knowing,  as 
he  did,  the  magnitude  of  such  a  design  as  Cob- 
ham's — involving  a  civil  war — a  foreign  alliance — 
danger  to  the  King,  and  revolution  to  the  monarchy ; 
knowing  as  he  did,  the  character,  the  feelings  and 
power  of  Cecil,  as  well  as  the  weakness,  cowardice 
and  imbecility  of  the  Lord  Cobham; — is  it  not  mon- 
strous to  suppose  that  he  would  have  risked  honor, 
fame,  life  itself,  in  a  dangerous  enterprise  with  such  a 
coadjutor, — for  it  must  be  remembered  that  he  is 
charged  with  no  interviews  with  any  one  but  Cob- 
ham.  Would  he  have  rested  during  weeks,  and 
allowed  such  a  poor  tool  as  Cobham  to  work  for 
him.^ — and,  moreover,  if  he  was  fully  cognizant  of  all 
the  proceedings,  and  knew  (as  he  must  have  known, 
if  ^^a  direct  participator,")  the  number  and  charac- 
ter of  Cobham's  communications  with  D'Aremberg, 
through  Laurencie, — would  he, — a  guilty  man, — in 
the  most  gratuitous  manner,  at  a  time  when  the  fact 
was  unknown  to  all  but  Cobham  and  himself,  and 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  47 

when  his  examination  before  the  Council  was  con- 
cluded^— have  suggested  to  the  Council  ''that  they 
had  better  send  for  this  very  Laurencie,  as  he  could 
tell  them  of  all  Cobham^s  conferences  ivith  D'' Ar em- 
ber g,  though  J  for  his  party  he  knew  of  nothing  im- 
proper between  themP^ 

But^  in  addition  to  this^  Secretary  Cecily  in  a  letter 
to  Sir  Ralph  Winwood^  written  while  Ralegh  was 
languishing  at  Winchester^  in  ignorance  of  his  fate^ 
and  in  daily  expectation  of  death,  says;  ^^that  the 
king  pretended  to  forbear  Sir  Walter  Ralegh,  for  the 
present,  imtil  the  Lord  Cobham^s  death  had  given  some 
light  how  far  he  would  make  good  his  accusation." 
Now,  if  it  was  necessary  that  James  should  have  this 
additional  proof  of  the  truth  of  Cobham's  charges, 
before  he  dared  execute  Ralegh,  then,  it  seems 
certain,  ^rs^,  that  there  was  not  in  his  possession  any 
other  evidence  than  that  adduced  upon  the  trial, 
sufficient  either  to  justify  him  in  beheading  Ralegh, 
or  to  excuse  Beaumont  in  asserting  his  guilt;  second- 
ly, if  the  king  only  waited  for  the  confirmatory  death 
speech  of  Cobham,  why  did  he  not  execute  the  sentence 
upon  Ralegh  when  that  proof  was  furnished  1  "  Cob- 
ham  mounted  the  scaffold  with  great  assurance, 
and  contempt  of  death,'^  and,  after  outpraying  the 
minister  and  the  company,  he  reasserted  the  truth  of 
all  his  accusations  against  Ralegh."  Here  was  the 
^^ light"  the  king  wanted!  Why  not  proceed  to 
execution  ?  Did  mercy  restrain  him  ?  Did  fear  of 
the  weakness  of  the  proof,  and  instinctive  horror  of 
injustice,  induce  him  to  delay  the  axe  of  the  heads- 
man? Not  so, — for,  even  if  in  the  exercise  of  a  large 
charity,  we  can  suppose  him  sincere  in  his  belief  of 


48  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

the  evidence  of  this  perjured  man,  why  did  he  not 
release  Ralegh,  when,  three  years  after  that  same, 
Cobham,  in  the  presence  of  his  queen,  solemnly 
retracted  even  the  accusations  he  had  made  on  the 
scaffold ! 

The  truth  of  the  matter,  if  it  ever  be  disinterred 
from  the  dusty  archives  of  the  reign  of  James,  will 
probably  be  found  in  the  private  correspondence  of 
the  King  and  the  scraps  and  memoranda  of  his 
Secretary  Cecil,  rather  than  in  the  despatches  of 
D'Aremberg,  or  the  speculations  of  Beaumont. 

From  the  presence  of  the  unjust  judge,  the  illus- 
trious prisoner  passed  into  the  tower,  and,  in  that 
stern  fortress,  with  whose  every  turret  and  gateway, 
are  linked  associations  of  outrage  and  tales  of  blood, 
the  man  of  action  was,  for  twelve  long  years,  con- 
demned to  monotony  and  gloom.  Did  not  this  sud- 
den reverse,  this  cruel  blow,  crush  him  to  the  earth  ? 
Did  not  the  fiery  spirit  of  the  soldier,  longing  for  the 
excitements,  the  dangers,  and  the  glories  of  war, 
break,  in  the  dull  routine  of  the  prison-house  ?  Did 
not  the  strong  mind  of  the  statesman,  yearning  for  the 
duties  and  struggles  of  the  hall  of  legislation,  or,  the 
board  of  council,  give  way,  as  year  stole  after 
year,  eventless  and  unmarked  ?  Did  not  the  resdess 
fancy  of  the  adventurer,  bear  him  over  the  western 
ocean  to  the  flowery  isle  of  Wocoton,  and  the  blue 
waters  of  Chessiopek,  reveal  the  splendors  of  Manoa, 
and  echo  the  rush  of  the  turbid  Amazon,  until  he 
sank,  despairing,  from  dreams  of  the  unreal,  into  the 
iron  arms  of  the  actual  ?  Did  not  the  polished  blade 
rust  in  the  neglected  scabbard  ?   the   torch  go  out 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  49 

in  the  long  darkness  ?  No !  brighter  and  stronger 
grew  the  spirit,  purer  and  higher  flamed  the  light ; 
and,  instead  of  vain  complaints  and  idle  repining, 
the  intellectual  and  moral  man  braced  himself  for 
a  great  task,  explored  the  realms  of  philosophy, 
gathered  the  treasures  of  history,  unravelled  the 
mysteries  of  science,  plucked  the  flowers  of  poesy ; 
and,  greater,  perhaps,  in  his  downfall  than  his  pros- 
perity,— in  the  dungeon,  than  in  the  camp, — tasked 
all  his  energies  in  a  work,  wonderful  for  industry  and 
learning,  admirable  in  its  style,  veracious  in  its  de- 
tails, and  lofty  in  its  sentiment.     And  thus  Sir  Walter 

"  E'en  with  his  prison-hours,  enriched  the  world." 

There  is  one  circumstance  connected  with  the  long 
imprisonment  of  Ralegh,  which  I  cannot  refrain  from 
noticing,  and  that  is,  the  lofty  and  unshaken  devotion 
of  his  wife.  The  biographers  of  Sir  Walter  tell  us 
that  the  Lady  Ralegh  was  exceeding  beautiful. 
Brought  up  in  a  brilliant  court,  surrounded  by  all  the 
refinements  of  intellect  and  the  amenities  of  life,  she 
was,  doubtless,  elegant  and  accomplished ;  but  of  her 
character  we  know  nothing  until  this  dark  cloud 
gathered  over  the  fortunes  of  her  husband.  In  the 
day  of  his  prosperity,  when  each  succeeding  year, 
invested  him  with  new  honors,  and  clothed  him  with 
greater  dignity;  when  admiring  friends  and  obsequi- 
ous retainers,  crowded  the  princely  halls  of  Sher- 
borne and  Durham  House,  she  unquestionably  clung 
to  him  with  affection,  and  looked  up  to  him  in 
pride.  But,  when  the  malice  of  his  enemies  and  the 
injustice  of  his  king,  stripped  him  of  office  and 
humbled  his  state,  when  the   victorious  soldier  be- 


50  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

came  the  attainted  traitor^  and  he^  who  had  hitherto 
lived  in  the  smiles  of  royahy^  languished  in  the  gloom 
of  a  prison^  then  it  was  that  the  nobility  of  her  nature 
and  the  depth  of  her  love  were  fully  revealed,  and 
the  woman  who  had  softened  the  splendors  of  his 
greatness  with  mild  and  reflected  radiance,  became 
the  sun  and  centre  of  his  hope  and  solace,  sustained 
his  sinking  spirit  with  words  of  consolation  and  hope, 
and  sanctified  the  house  of  bondage  with  the  ever 
present  divinity  of  Love  !  She  petitioned  the  minis- 
ter, supplicated  the  favorite,  and  knelt  before  the 
King;  and,  although  neglected,  repulsed,  and 
scorned,  she  strained  all  the  energies  of  her  nature, 
and  exhausted  all  the  resources  of  her  Love,  to  effect 
his  liberation. 

At  length,  after  more  than  twelve  years  confine- 
ment, the  death  of  Cecil,  inspired  Ralegh  with  re- 
newed hope,  and  a  bribe  of  fifteen  hundred  pounds 
to  Sir  William  St.  John  and  Sir  Edward  Villiers,  se- 
cured their  influence  with  the  King,  and  threw  open 
the  gates  of  the  Tower.*  The  Guiana  project  had 
continued  to  occupy  his  mind  throughout  his  long 
imprisonment,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  released,  he 
prepared  to  prosecute  it  with  unabated  vigor.  By 
submitting  to  great  sacrifices,  he  succeeded  in  raising 
the  funds  necessary  to  equip  a  fleet,  and  upon  the 
28th  March,  1617,  he  set  sail  on  his  last  Guiana 
expedition.  Before  going  into  the  details  of  this 
unfortunate  voyage,  it  is  proper  to  examine  very 
briefly,  one  of  the  slanders  of  the  period,  which 
charged  that  Ralegh  himself  did  not  believe  in  the 
existence  of  the  mines  of  Guiana.     From  this  impu- 

*  Obs.  on  Sanderson's  Hist,  of  King  James,  vol.  4,  p.  10.    Oldys,  p.  192. 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  51 

tation  we  think  he  can  be  fully  relieved.  The  ad- 
ventures and  successes  of  Columbus^  Pizarro  and 
Cortez^  had  prepared  the  European  mind  to  believe 
many  of  the  marvels  which  were  narrated  in  connec- 
tion with  Guiana;  and  the  previous,  and  contempo- 
raneous Spanish  histories,  teemed  with  accounts  of 
the  riches  of  the  country,  and  of  hundreds  of  cava- 
liers of  rank  and  consideration,  who  had  adventured 
life  and  fortune,  in  vain  efforts  to  reach  the  City  of 
Manoa.^  The  astute  Cecil,  the  intelligent  High 
Admiral,  Howard,  and  the  cautious  men  of  trade, 
who  assisted  Ralegh  in  his  enterprises,  by  furnishing 
both  money  and  ships;  seemed  to  have  been  im- 
pressed by  these  reports,  and  thought  them  worthy 
of  credence. 

About  this  time  also,  certain  documents  were  laid 
before  the  Privy  Council,  which  Captain  Popham, 
had  taken  from  a  Spanish  vessel.  They  were  letters 
directed  to  the  Governor  of  San  Lucar,  and  the 
King  of  Spain,  giving  full  accounts  of  the  abundance 
of  gold  in  Guiana,  and  urging  extensive  operations 
in  that  country.f  The  reports  of  Captains  Keymis 
and  Whiddon;  the  evidence  of  his  own  senses,  in 
the  mines  which  he  himself  saw  in  Guiana,  and  the 
yield  of  the  ore  which  he  brought  home,  and  had 
assayed  in  London;  sufficiently  satisfied  the  mind  of 
Ralegh,  and  certainly*  warranted  him  in  coming  to 

*  See  Hakluyt,  vol.  3,  p.  687,  692.  Also  Appendix  to  2cl  Caylcy,  p.  358,  in 
which  a  summary  of  these  efforts  is  given,  with  the  names  of  the  most  con- 
spicuous of  the  adventurers. 

t  Ilakluyt,  vol.  3,  p.  662.  Birch,  vol.  1,  p.  236.  App.  to  2  Caylcy,  p.  307, 
where  these  letters  are  given  in  full. 

8 


52  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

the  conclusions  which  influenced  his  subsequent 
movements. 

With  these  grounds  for  behef^  his  after  conduct^ 
clearly  establishes  his  sincerity.  From  the  moment 
the  great  scheme  first  possessed  his  mind^,  he  had 
despatched  successive  expeditions  to  conciliate  the 
natives^  explore  the  country^  and  collect  information. 
Even  in  the  Tower^  his  favorite  project  engaged  his 
attention^  and  hardly  was  he  released^  before  we  find 
him  devoting  all  his  energies  to  its  prosecution. 

In  these  preparations,  he  expended  the  eight 
thousand  pounds  which  the  King  had  allowed  him 
for  Sherbourne,  and  sold  his  service  of  plate  ;  while 
his  wife  parted  with  a  house  at  Mitcham,  held  in  her 
own  right,  to  swell  his  resources.*  In  addition  to  all 
this,  there  is  a  piece  of  testimony  on  record  in  the 
Harleian  MSS.,  which  concludes  the  question  of  his 
sincerity.  This  is  the  draft  of  an  agreement  between 
Ralegh  and  the  Government,  drawn  up  by  him, 
while  yet  a  prisoner  in  the  Tower.  The  principal 
feature  of  this  instrument  is  a  condition,   that,   "if 

*  The  conduct  of  King  James  in  this  matter  was  exceedingly  unjust  and 
contemptible.  ThQ  estate  of  Sherbourne  had  been  settled  by  Ralegh  on  his 
eldest  son,  and  notwithstanding  the  attainder,  the  King  allowed  his  prisoner  to 
enjoy  a  life  interest  in  it.  The  King's  favorite.  Car,  better  known  as  the 
Earl  of  Somerset,  determined  to  get  possession  of  Sherbourne,  and  Ralegh's 
deed  of  conveyance  to  his  son  having  been  submitted  to  the  examination  of 
Chief  Justice  Popham,  who  detected  an  omission  of  one  or  two  words,  which 
he  owned  was  caused  by  the  inattention  of  the  clerk  who  engrossed  the  deed ; 
advantage  was  taken  of  the  inaccuracy,  and  Car  obtained  Sherbourne  of  the 
King.  The  loss  to  Ralegh  and  his  family  was  a  severe  one,  and  he  addressed 
a  very  touching  letter  to  Car,  setting  forth  the  hardship  and  injustice  of  the  act, 
and  the  lady  Ralegh,  accompanied  by  her  cliildren,  supplicated  the  King  on 
her  knees,  but  the  only  answer  of  James  was  :  "  /  mun  have,  the  land;  Imun 
have  it  for  Car."  He  subsequently  allowed  Ralegh  £8000 — in  full  for  the 
estate,  ivhich  was  worth  £5000  per  annum.  Sec  App.  to  Cayley,  p.  386. 
Birch's  Collections.     Cayley,  vol.  2,  pp,  41—52. 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  53 

Keymis^  after  being  guarded  to  the  place^  [the  site  of 
the  mines]  shall  fail  to  bring  to  England  half  a  ton^ 
or  as  much  more  as  he  can  take  up^  of  that  slate  gold 
ore^  whereof  I  have  given  a  sample;  then  all  the 
charge  of  the  journey  shall  be  laid  upon  me^  hy  me  to 
he  satisfied  :  but  should  half  a  ton  be  brought  homey  I 
am  to  have  my  liberty^  and  in  the  mean  time  my 
pardon^  under  the  great  seal^  is  to  be  lodged  in  his 
Majesty's  hand^  till  the  end  of  the  journey.''*'  It 
would  have  been  difficult  for  Ralegh  to  have  given 
more  conclusive  proof  of  the  sincerity  of  his  con- 
victions upon  this  subject,  than  is  here  furnished. 

When  Ralegh  reached  the  Oronoko,  he  was  too  ill 
to  head  the  expedition  to  the  mines,  and  was  forced 
to  entrust  the  command  to  Captain  Keymis,  to  whom 
he  gave  very  full  and  cautious  instructions.  When 
Keymis  landed,  he  found  that  a  strong  Spanish  force 
was  posted  between  him  and  the  mines,  and  in 
endeavoring  to  win  his  way,  a  conflict  ensued,  which 
resulted  in  his  taking  possession  of  the  town  of  St. 
Thome.  A  large  body  of  Spaniards  placed  them- 
selves in  ambuscade  on  the  road,  and  Keymis,  who 
seems  to  have  been  afraid  to  assume  the  responsi- 
bility of  further  hostilities,  determined  to  give  up 
the  enterprise,  and  return  to  the  ships.  Ralegh, 
incensed  at  his  failure,  bitterly  reproached  him  for 
his  disobedience  of  orders,  and  the  subordinate,  in  a 
fit  of  mortification,  committed  suicide.  As  the  time 
appeared  untoward  for  the  further  prosecution  of  his 
schemes,  Ralegh  repaired  to  Newfoundland  with  his 
fleet,  to  refit,  purposing,  as  there  is  abundant  reason 
to  conclude,   to   make   another  effort  to  reach   the 

*  Brit.  Mus.     Hail.  MSS.,  3f),  p,  340. 


54  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

mines^  and  close  his  voyage  with  success.  While  at 
Newfoundland,  a  portion  of  his  crew  became  muti- 
nous, and  he  sailed  for  England.  Prior  to  his  re- 
turn, however,  Don  Diego  cle  Sarmientos,  better 
known  as  the  Count  Gondomar,  had  complained  to 
the  King  of  Ralegh's  conduct  in  Guiana,  as  a  breach 
of  the  peace  with  Spain,  and  denounced  him  as  a 
pirate;  and  James,  who  was  ready  to  do  anything, 
in  his  eagerness  to  promote  the  Spanish  match, 
issued  a  Proclamation  commanding  the  arrest  of  Ra- 
legh, and  within  a  month  after  he  reached  England, 
he  was  once  more  committed  to  the  Tower.* 

The  "  Declaration  "  published  by  the  King  imme- 
diately after  the  execution  of  Ralegh,  and  which 
was  written  for  the  double  purpose  of  blackening 
his  memory  and  justifying  the  conduct  of  James; 
charges  that  Ralegh  had  violated  his  commission, 
and  made  war  upon  the  Spaniards  in  Guiana,  of 
whose  settlements  there  the  King  declares  himself  to 
have  been  entirely  ignorant  when  the  commission  was 
granted.  It  further  accuses  him  of  intending  a  pi- 
ratical cruise,  and  pronounces  his  propositions  in 
reference  to  the  mines,  to  be  mere  subterfuges.  As 
we  find  the  most  serious  of  these  charges  reiterated 
in  the  Edinburg  Review,  to  which  we  have  already 
alluded;  and  as  that  article  is  calculated  to  affect  in- 
juriously, and  we  think  unjustly,  the  character  of 
Ralegh ;  we  prefer  to  examine  them  in  that  connec- 
tion, rather  than  to  review  the  King's  "Declaration," 
which  abounds  with  mis-statements,  and  is  written 
throughout  in  an  unfair  spirit.     It  is  necessary,  how- 

*  Oklys,  pp.  203  to  209.     2  Cayley. 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  55 

ever,  in  connection  with  one  or  two  matters^  to  refer 
to  this  joint  production  of  Bacon  and  James.     The 
^^Declaration"  states  distinctly^  that  the  King  was 
ignorant  of  the  existence  of  the  Spanish  settlements 
in  Guiana^  and  in  fact  that  he  did  not  know  upon  what 
particular  portion  of  the  coast^  Ralegh  intended  to 
land.     Now   unfortunately  for   the   veracity  of  the 
King,  it  is  in  evidence,  that  while  Ralegh  was  still  in 
the  Tower:  James  was  informed  by  Gondomar^  that 
a  relative  of  his  had  gone  out  from  Spain,  to  plant  a 
colony  upon  the  very  spot,  at  which  Ralegh  intended 
to  operate!     And  in  addition  to  this,  before  the  expe- 
dition sailed  from  England,  the  King  had  demanded 
from  Ralegh,  a  letter,  called  ''  a  close  letter, ^^  which 
contained  the  most  explicit  details,  not  only  of  the 
route  which  Ralegh  meant  to  take;  but  also  the  loca- 
tion of  the  mines,  the  precise  point  at  which  he  pro- 
posed to  land,  and  the  whole  outhne  of  his  projected 
operations  in  Guiana!     This  letter,  James  pledged 
^^  his  kingly  word,"  should  be  kept  secret ;  and  yet 
before  Ralegh  set  sail,  it  had  been  handed  by  the  per- 
jured King  to  Gondomar,  and  was  on  its  way  to  the 
Court  of  Spain  .'"* 

The  writer   in  the   Edinburg   Review    maintains 
that  the  attack  upon  the  town  of  St.  Thome,  was  an 

*  Howell's  Letters,  p.  869.  Thomson,  p.  219.  2  Cayley,  p.  81.  OMys, 
194,  196,  206.  It  is  asserted  by  some  authors,  that  the  commission  which  was 
published  by  the  King  in  connection  with  his  "Declaration,"  differs  materially 
from  the  original  given  to  Ralegh,  and  "that  several  strong  words  are  left  out." 
The  inference  is  perfectly  fair,  that  if  it  suited  James  to  omit  words,  in  order  to 
w^eaken  Ralegh's  defence ;  he  would  have  no  difficulty  in  accordance  with  his 
views  of  "kingcraft,"  in  inserting  others  to  strengthen  the  case  against  him. 
See  Rapin  Hist.  Eng.  Ralegh's  Remains,  Edition  of  1651.  Thomson,  p.  219. 
James  affirms  that  the  Privy  Seal,  only,  was  affixed  to  the  commission,  but 
Ralegh  speaks  of  it  as  being  under  the  Great  Seal ! 


66  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

unjustifiable  act  on  the  part  of  Ralegh^  and  while  he 
holds  that  ^^  it  is  impossible  to  justify  his  insincerity, 
and  preconceived  hostilities;"  he  does  not  appear  to 
be  very  fully  convinced  of  Ralegh's  guilt  in  the  mat- 
ter, and  urges  the  peculiar  opinions  of  the  day  in 
palliation  of  his  conduct.  He  further  asserts  that 
Ralegh  knew,  '^  that  if  he  informed  the  King  that 
there  was  a  Spanish  settlement  in  the  quarter  where 
the  mines  were  situated,  he  would  not  have  been 
permitted  to  approach  it,  and  that  he  therefore  con- 
cealed the  fact,  and  deceived  the  King  in  this  impor- 
tant particular.^'  Now  it  has  been  shewn  that  no 
deception  whatever,  was  practised  in  the  matter;  for 
in  the  ^^  close  letter ''  already  alluded  to,  Ralegh  had 
given  minutely  the  details  of  his  enterprise,  and  the 
King  was  fully  aware,  that  the  Spaniards  had  made 
a  settlement  upon  the  very  spot  where  he  intended 
to  land,  from  the  communication  of  Gondomar;  even 
if  the  letter  itself  did  not  apprise  him  of  the  fact: 
and  we  think  that  an  examination  of  the  authorities 
will  convince  any  one,  that  all  the  ^^ deception" 
that  marked  the  transaction,  is  chargeable  upon  the 
King,  rather  than  Ralegh.  As  to  the  attack  upon 
the  town  of  St.  Thome,  we  think  that  there  is  more 
force  in  ^^the  peculiar  views"  of  the  period,  than 
the  Edinburg  attaches  to  them.  The  doctrine  that 
the  peace  did  not  extend  beyond  the  Equator,  and 
that  according  to  the  usages  of  nations  at  that  time, 
the  hostilities  in  Guiana  were  no  infringement  of 
it;  seems  to  have  been  regarded  as  sound,  even  by 
Hume,  who  attempts  to  excuse  the  revival  of  the 
old  sentence  against  Ralegh,  upon  the  ground  that 
he  could  not  have  been  condemned  for  the  infrac- 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  57 

tion  of  the  peace,  in  consequence  of  the  prevalence 
and  recognized  force,  of  the  very  views  which  Ra- 
legh urges  in  defence  of  his  conduct.  Again — 
the  hostihties  were  commenced  by  the  Spaniards 
themselves.  They  were  the  first  infractors  of  the 
peace.  Ralegh  had  an  undoubted  right  to  land  in 
Guiana.  His  commission  contemplated  the  working 
of  the  mines  upon  the  very  spot  where  the  hostili- 
ties occurred.  His  authority  to  undertake  the  en- 
terprise was  based  upon  the  agreement  between  the 
King  and  himself,  which  has  heretofore  been  quoted; 
and  from  occupation^  the  English  had  derived  as 
good  a  title  to  that  portion  of  Guiana  as  the  Span- 
iards. The  instructions  given  to  Keymis  before 
the  expedition  left  Punta  de  Gallo,  for  the  Oronoko; 
shew  conclusively,  that  Ralegh  had  not,  as  the 
Edinburg  charges,  '^  a  settled  design  to  capture  St. 
Thome,"  for  they  were  drawn  up  with  great  care, 
and  provide  as  far  as  it  was  possible  for  Ralegh  to  do 
so,  against  collision  with  any  Spanish  force  which 
Keymis  might  meet ;  and  direct  him  to  pursue  a  dis- 
tant and  circuitous  route  to  the  mines,  for  the  very 
purpose  of  avoiding  conflict.  The  disobedience  of 
Keymis,  was  a  matter  beyond  the  control  of  Ralegh, 
and  for  the  consequences  of  which  we  think  it  is 
very  unfair  to  hold  him  responsible ;  and  in  addition 
to  this,  the  collision  itself  would  probably  never  have 
occurred,  had  not  James  violated  his  ^^ kingly  word," 
and  communicated  the  plans  of  Ralegh  to  the  govern- 
ment ot  Spain. 

The  next  charge  which  the  Edinburgh  advances 
against  Ralegh,  is,  that  ^^  piracy  was  in  his  imme- 
diate view."     In  order  to  examine  this  charge  fairly, 


58  SIR     WALTER    RALEGH. 

it  is  necessary  to  refer  particularly  to  the  conduct  of 
Ralegh  from  the  moment  he  left  Guiana^  until  he 
returned  to  England.  After  the  failure  of  the  enter- 
prise entrusted  to  Keymis^  the  position  of  affairs  was 
such  as  to  render  a  renewal  of  the  attempt  at  that 
time^  unadvisable^  if  not  impossible.  The  Spaniards 
were  on  the  alert^  guarding  the  passages  to  the  mines, 
and  prepared  for  resistance.  Their  fleet  was  daily 
expected  upon  the  coast.  The  illness  under  which 
Ralegh  had  been  laboring  from  the  moment  of  his 
arrival,  was  too  violent  to  allow  him  to  take  that 
active  part,  which  the  state  of  things  so  imperatively 
demanded ;  and  to  fill  the  measure  of  his  misfortune, 
many  of  his  captains,  and  a  large  portion  of  his  crew, 
had  become  disaffected  and  turbulent.  A  council  of 
war  was  held,  and  it  was  determined  that  the  fleet 
should  repair  to  Newfoundland  to  refit.  When  they 
arrived  there,  the  disaffection  reached  its  height,  and 
broke  out  into  open  mutiny.  A  large  number  of  his 
men,  insisted  that  Ralegh  should  take  an  oath  ^^  not 
to  go  home  but  by  their  allowance,"  while  the  other 
portion  were  for  immediate  return.  Ralegh  put  the 
question  to  vote,  and  sided  with  those  who  wished 
to  return  to  England;  and  his  biographer  states, 
that ''  his  voting  upon  either  side  was  attended  with 
manifest  danger  of  his  hfe.''*  Let  us  now  examine 
the  charge  of  ^'  intended  piracy.'^  Both  from  Gui- 
ana, and  from  St.  Christophers,  Ralegh  had  been 
obliged  to  send  home  many  of  his  oflicers  and  men, 
on  account  of  their  vileness  of  character  and  turbu- 
lence of  conduct.     To  some  of  these  he  had  behaved 

*  Oldys,  p.  208. 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  59 

with  great  generosity,  and  yet  knowing,  as  he  diclj 
that  they  were  a  base  set,  "good  for  nothing, 
neither  by  sea  nor  land;*'  he  wrote  to  his  wife  from 
St.  Christophers,  on  the  22nd  of  March  :  "  /  know 
they  will  not  spare  to  wound  me.  There  is  never  so 
base  a  slave  in  the  fleet,  that  hath  taken  the  pains 
and  care  that  I  have  done ;  that  hath  slept  so  httle 
and  travailed  so  much ;  my  friends  will  not  beheve 
them,  and  for  the  rest  I  care  not." 

The  position  in  which  Ralegh  was  placed  at  New- 
foundland, and  the  course  of  conduct  which  he 
decided  to  adopt,  have  a  very  important  connection 
with  any  theory  as  to  his  probable  ulterior  views. 
That  he  was  sincere  in  his  belief  of  the  existence  of 
the  mines,  and  the  great  wealth  of  Guiana,  cannot  be 
doubted.  That  the  successful  termination  of  his 
enterprise  was  of  paramount  importance  to  him,  is 
equally  certain.  Whh  it  his  position  at  Court,  his 
future  career,  his  private  interest,  and  the  gratifica- 
tion of  one  of  the  most  cherished  aspirations  of  his 
life  were  indissolubly  connected.  A  man  of  indomi- 
table energy,  of  great  personal  courage,  and  unwa- 
vering firmness  of  character;  it  may  safely  be 
assumed  that  the  obstacles  which  turned  him  from 
his  path,  were  insurmountable.  The  failure  of  Key- 
mis  did  not  necessarily  imply  the  flulure  of  Ralegh. 
The  spirit  of  his  men,  and  his  own  illness  precluded 
him  from  making  any  effort  while  upon  the  coast,  to 
redeem  the  error  of  his  subordinate.  Who  can 
doubt  that  when  he  sailed  for  Newfoundland,  it  was 
with  the  full  assurance  in  his  own  mind,  that  he 
would  return  with  his  ships  refitted,  and  his  crews 
inspired  with  something  of  his  own  spirit,  to  make 
9 


60  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

another  and  a  successful  effort  to  reach  the  mines. 
Men  Hke  Columbus  and  Ralegh^  in  such  emergencies 
rely  justly  upon  the  suasion  of  moral  and  intellectual 
superiority.     The    crews    which    sailed    from    the 
Oronoko^  dispirited  and  mutinous^  might  spread  their 
sails  to  the  returning  winds^  with  brave  and  willing 
hearts^  and  under  the  guidance  of  such  a  leader,  win 
at  last  their  splendid  goal.     But  how  did  the  case 
stand  when  he  reached  Newfoundland  ?     His  crews 
were  almost  equally  divided  in  opinion.     The  one 
portion  evidently  looked  to  piracy  ;  the  other  looked 
to    England ;    none  turned  toward  Guiana.     What 
could  he  do  under  such  circumstances  ?     Even  if  he 
had  succeeded  in  inducing   those  who   wished   to 
exact  an  oath  ^^  that  he  would  only  go  home  on  their 
allowance/^  to  make  another  effort  in  Guiana ;  what 
success  could  he  have  looked  for.?     His  whole  force 
was  scarcely  sufficient ;  it  would  have  been  madness 
to  have  returned  with  but  half,  and  that,  the  most 
abandoned  and  turbulent.     It  was  evident,  that  any 
further  attempt  upon  the  mines,  was,  under  such 
circumstances,   impossible.      That  idea   abandoned, 
two  alternatives  were  presented  to  Ralegh.     If  he 
was  indeed  a  brave  and  honorable  man,  dealing  in 
good  faith  with  his  Sovereign  and  his  own  character, 
the  opportunity  was  presented  to  return  to  England. 
If  on  the  contrary  he  was  full  of  disaffection  and 
treasonable    thoughts,  and   intended   to    become    a 
pirate ;  it  was  within  his  option  to  begin  that  career 
at  once,  under  favorable  circumstances.     Is  not  the 
fact  that  he  decided  to  return  to  England,  ^'  to  put 
his  head  under  the  King's  girdle ;''  a  powerful  argu- 
ment against  the  charge  of  intended  piracy  ?     What 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  6\ 

course  could  he  possibly  have  adopted ,  better  calcu- 
lated to  shew  the  true  greatness  of  his  character  and 
the  conscious  integrity  of  his  intentions  ? 

With  this  preliminary  statement,  we  proceed  to 
examine  the  evidence  by  which  the  writer  in  the 
Edinburgh  Review  seeks  to  substantiate  this  serious 
charge.  The  first  piece  of  evidence  which  he  ad- 
duces is  a  letter  which  would  seem  to  be  now  for  the 
first  time  published,  written  by  Captain  Parker,  who 
was  one  of  the  captains  in  the  expedition,  under 
Keymis.*  After  alluding  to  the  landing  near  St. 
Thomas,  and  the  conduct  of  Key  mis,  whom  he 
grossly  abuses,  the  writer  proceeds;  "We  have 
divided  ourselves  already  ;  Captains  Whitney  and 
Wollaston  are  consorted  to  look  for  homeward-bound 
men.  The  admiral  and  vice-admiral  will  for  New- 
foundland to  re-victual,  and  after,  to  the  Western 
Islands  to  look  for  homeward-bound  men.  For  my 
part,  by  the  permission  of  God,  /  will  make  a  voyage^ 
or  bury  myself  in  the  sea.^^  From  this  letter,  the 
writer  in  the  Edinburgh,  concludes,  that,  "no  one 
who  peruses  it,  can  doubt  that  Ralegh  before  he  left 
England  had  resolved  to  take  forcible  possession  of 
St.  Thomas ;  and  that  the  failure  as  to  the  mines, 
was  followed  by  a  resolution  to  which  he  was  a  party, 
to  seek  indemnification  in  a  piratical  onset  upon  the 
Spanish  colonial  shipping.  "  From  these  conclusions 
we  dissent  altogether.  That  portion  of  the  letter 
which  alludes  to  the  assault  "  upon  the  town,  '^  gives 
none  of  the  particulars  of  the  conflict ;  and  we  have 
already  shewn   upon   other,  and   unquestioned   au- 

*  There  is  no  such  name  as  Parker  in  the  list  of  Ralegh's  captains.  There 
was  a  captain  Barker  however,  and  we  suppose  that  this  is  a  typographical 
error. 


62  SIR    WALTER     RALEGH. 

thority^  that  the  hostilities  originated  with  the  Spa- 
niards themselves.     The  statement  of  Captain  Barker^ 
as  to  the  subsequent  division  of  the  fleet  for  piratical 
purposes^  is  calculated  by  its  language  and  tone  to 
excite  suspicion^  and  it  is  not  sustained  either  by  the 
admitted  facts,  or  by  corroborative  testimony.     If  the 
division  which  is  here  spoken  of,  was  indeed  made ; 
how  does  it  happen  that  we  immediately  afterward 
find  the  whole  of  Ralegh's  fleet  sailing  for  Newfound- 
land ?  a  measure  so  important  as  a  deliberate  plan  of 
attack  upon  the  '^^homeward-bound  men,  "  would  not 
have   been    determined,   without   full   and   cautious 
deliberation ;  indeed,  the  division  of  the  force  which 
is  so  confidently  stated  to  have  been  made,    would 
seem  to  have  been  the  result  of  a  council  of  officers. 
If  this  were  so,  the  supplies  and  wants  of  the  fleet 
were  well  known  at  the  moment  of  the  deliberation, 
and  there  was  no  necessity  that  all  the  ships  should 
repair   to    Newfoundland.     But   the  great  difficulty 
which  we  have  in  the  case,  consists  in  the  fact;  that, 
out  of  thirteen  captains ^  ivho  commanded  vessels  in  the 
expedition  of  Ralegh^  no  single  individual^  hut  this 
Captain  Barker^  should  he  cognizant  of  the  important 
wMters  stated  in  his  letter!     Can  it  be  conceived^ 
that  it  should  have  been  determined  to  attack  the 
Spanish  colonial  shipping ;    to  sweep  the  seas,  under 
the  flag  of  an   avowed  piracy;    and    to   change   an 
enterprize    which    had   been  undertaken  with   lofty 
motives,  and  for  the  national  glory,  into  a  marauding 
cruise ;  and  these  twelve  captains,  who  were  to  be 
the  agents  and  assistants  of  the  admiral  in  this  design, 
have  known  nothing  whatever  of  the  matter  !     Can  it 
be  believed,  that  ^'  Wollaston  and  Whitney  were  con- 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  63 

sorted  to  look  for  homewarcl-bouncl  men/'  and  the 
vice-admiral  appointed  to  touch  first  at  Newfound- 
land to  re-victual^  and  ^^  then  to  the  Western  Islands 
to  look  for  homeward-bound  men ;  "  and  the  fact 
never  have  been  substantiated  by  the  testimomj  of  these 
witnesses!  Can  it  be  believed  that  a  matter  of  such 
magnitude  as  this  deliberate  division  of  his  fleet^  for 
a  purpose^  in  direct  violation  of  existing  laws^  and 
entailing  the  severest  penalties;  could  have  been 
made  or  acquiesced  in^  by  Ralegh^  and  but  one 
solitary  voice  have  been  raised  to  expose  him  ?  Was 
not  the  ear  of  James  quick  enough^  to  catch  the  mur- 
murs which  from  discontented  crevvs^  and  disaffected 
officers  went  up  against  one  who  knew^  '^  they  would 
not  spare  to  wound  him  ?  '^  Was  not  the  eye  of 
James  able  to  discover  a  single  witness  who  could 
testify  as  to  this  conclusive  act  of  guilt  upon  the  part 
of  the  man  the  king  hated^  and  whom  he  was  so 
anxious  to  destroy  ?  Can  any  mind  conceive  it  pos- 
sible that  this  mass  of  evidence  should  have  been  in 
existence  against  Ralegh,  and  nothing  have  been  di- 
vulged but  the  letter  of  Captain  Barker  (now  for  the 
first  time  given  to  the  world)  and  the  unexplained 
statement  of  the  admission  made  in  the  presence  of 
St.  Leger  and  Pennington  .^ 

With  a  very  brief  reference  to  the  evidence  brought 
forward  by  the  Edinburgh  to-  confirm  the  charge  of 
piracy,  we  leave  the  subject.  The  anecdote  which 
is  reported  by  Wilson,  may  be  characteristic,  but  we 
confess  that  we  cannot  bring  ourselves  to  attach  much 
importance  to  anything  which  comes  from  so  ques- 
tionable a  source.  The  Reviewer  further  relies  upon 
passages  in  certain  of  Ralegh's  letters,  as  shewing 


64  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

clearly  what  were  his  ulterior  designs.  The  first  of 
these  declarationSj  occurs  in  a  letter  from  Ralegh  to 
his  wife^  in  which  he  says^  ^^  he  trusts  that  God  will 
send  them  somewhat  before  their  return."  Taken 
with  the  context^  we  are  unable  to  twist  this  passage 
into  anything  piratical^  and  really  suppose  it  to  refer 
to  a  renewal  of  the  attempt  on  the  mines^  under  bet- 
ter auspices.  The  other  extract  declares^  that  he  has 
^^  four  reasonable  good  ships  left^  and  that^  with  them 
he  could  keep  the  sea  until  August. ''  In  reference 
to  this  statement;  we  think  it  necessary  simply  to  say ; 
that  it  occurs  in  a  letter  addressed  by  Ralegh  to  Sir 
Ralph  Winwoody  then  the  Secretary  of  State ^  and  is 
rather  an  official  report  of  his  proceedings,  than  a 
private  letter ;  and  it  is  scarcely  likely  that  he  would 
have  made  a  piratical  purpose  the  subject  matter  of  an 
epistle  evidently  meant  for  the  eye  of  the  King, 

The  return  of  Ralegh  to  England,  under  circum- 
stances which  were  certain  to  involve  him  in  great 
danger,  is  a  matter  which  occasioned  much  surprise 
among  his  contemporaries,  and  has  since  been  a 
fruitful  theme  of  discussion.  The  Edinburgh,  cannot 
admit  the  possibility  of  its  having  been  a  voluntary 
act  on  the  part  of  Ralegh,  and  professes  to  disbelieve 
the  explanation  which  is  adopted  by  Mr.  Jardine. 
That  his  return  was  ^Woluntary,''  seems  to  us  quite 
credible,  as  there  is  no  evidence  whatever  of  any 
coercion  having  been  employed  to  bring  him  home. 
In  fact,  we  have  already  shewn  that  at  Newfoundland 
he  voted  for  an  immediate  return.  Besides  this,  his 
setting  out  for  London,  as  soon  as  he  heard  of  the 
Proclamation,  and  in  advance  of  the  arrest  by  Stuck- 
ley;  the  voluntary  surrender  of  his  person,  and  more 


SIR     WALTER    RALEGH.  65 

than  all,  his  refusing  to  avail  himself  of  the  oppor- 
tunity of  escape  to  France,  which  Captain  King  had 
provided ;  shew  not  only  that  his  return  was  volun- 
tary, but  that  some  high  motive  had  induced  it.    But 
why  should  he  not  return   to  England.?     True,  he 
had  failed  in  his  enterprise.     That  was  attributable 
more  to  the  conduct  of  the  King  and  the  insubor- 
dinate character  of  his  crews,  than  to  any  act  of  his 
own.     His   wife   and    family   were    in   England. — 
Where  else  should  he   go?     The   Edinburgh  inti- 
mates,   upon    the    authority   of  Demarest,  that   his 
intention    was   to    have  gone  over   to    France    and 
offered  his  service  to  that  monarch.     Ralegh  abso- 
lutely denies  ever  having  entertained  such  an  idea. 
We  believe  Ralegh.     We  cannot  think  that  he  who 
by  the  toil  of  a  long  life  had    builded  up  a  great 
reputation,   and  who  was   connected  with   all   that 
was  illustrious  in  the  reign  of  such    a  monarch  as 
Elizabeth,  could  by  an  act  either  of  treachery  or  cow- 
ardice,  prove   recreant  to  himself,  and   consent   to 
sully  the  name    he   had    won.     But    the  statement 
which    is   made    by  Carew  in  his  letter   to    James 
Howell,  and  which  Mr.  Jardine  adopts,  throws  light 
upon  the  matter.     It  appears,  "that  when   Ralegh 
sailed  from  England,  the  Earls  Pembroke  and  Arun- 
del,  made   themselves  responsible    to  the  King  for 
his  return ;  and  his  re-appearance  is  to  be  attributed 
to  his  determination  to  release  them  from  their  obli- 
gation.''* This  is  a  theory  entirely  consistent  with  the 
view  we  have  endeavored  to  present  of  the  charac- 
ter of  Ralegh,  and  with  it  we  take  our  leave  of  the 
vexed  question. 

*  See  Howell's  Familiai-  Letters. 


66  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

In  his  progress  from  Plymouth  to  London^  Ralegh 
was  in  custody,  and  closely  watched  by  Sir  Lewis 
Stuckley,  and  a  French  quack^  named  Manourie, 
whom  the  King  attached  to  his  person  in  the  cha- 
racter of  spies.  While  James  had  fully  determined 
to  sacrifice  his  great  subject  to  the  enmity  of  Spain,^ 
he  was  very  much  perplexed  as  to  the  manner  in 
which  his  favorite  object  could  be  accomplished, 
without  an  act  of  bold  tyranny,  from  which  his  timid 
nature  shrank  in  alarm.  He  does  not  appear  to  have 
doubted  that  Ralegh  would  repair  to  London,  and 
submit  himself  to  the  royal  will ;  but  he  sent  down 
these  agents  to  accompany  him,  in  order  to  secure 
through  their  instrumentality,  a  decent  pretext  for 
the  course  which  he  had  determined  to  pursue. 
The  spies  who  surrounded  Ralegh,  noted  every 
look,  word  and  action,  of  their  illustrious  prisoner. 
They  persuaded  him  to  attempt  an  escape;  aided 
him  up  to  the  last  moment,  and  then  betrayed  him. 
They  stood  at  his  bedside  in  the  Tower.  The 
unguarded  exclamations  of  an  injured  man;  the 
honest  indignation  of  a  betrayed  subject ;  the  sor- 
rowful reflections  of  a  maligned  spirit ;  the  breath- 
ings of  hope,  the  accents  of  despair,  and  the  words 
of  supplication,  were  repeated  to  the  ears  of  the 
eager  King.     But  it  was  all  vain.     Ralegh  spoke  no 

*  This  determination  on  the  part  of  the  King,  is  made  fully  apparent  from  a 
letter  addressed  soon  after  the  execution  of  Ralegh,  by  one  of  the  officers  of 
state,  to  an  Agent  in  Spain  ;  in  which  the  Agent  is  directed  to  urge  upon  that 
Court :  "  in  how  many  ways  of  late,  the  King  hath  strained  upon  the  affections 
of  his  people,  and  especially  in  this  last  concerning  Sir  Walter  Ralegh  ;  and 
further  to  let  them  know,  how  able  a  man  Sir  Walter  Ralegh  was  to  have  done 
his  Majesty  service,  yet  to  give  them  content,  he  hath  not  spared  him,  when  by 
doing  so  he  might  have  given  great  satisfaction  to  his  people,  and  had  at  com- 
mand upon  all  occasions  as  useful  a  man  as  served  any  Prince  in  Christen- 
dom."   Letter  to  Mr.  Cottington,     See  Rusworth's  Coll.    2  Cayley,  178. 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  67 

treason.  He  revealed  no  secret  of  his  hearty  no 
action  of  his  life^  which  justified  the  warrant  of  his 
death.  It  became  necessary  to  resort  to  other  means 
to  entrap  him.  James  was  full  of  expedients.  He 
was  just  the  King  for  such  an  emergency.  He 
directed  that  Lady  Ralegh  should  be  confined  in  her 
house^  and  encouraged  to.  communicate  freely  with 
her  imprisoned  husband^  and  the  dastardly  mon- 
arch gloated  over  the  intercepted  letters^  striving  to 
extract  treason  from  the  language  of  love,  and 
make  the  confiding  wife  the  instrument  of  her  hus- 
band's ruin  !*  But  even  this  scheme  failed,  and  he 
was  at  last  forced  to  throw  off*  the  mask,  and  resort 
to  an  act  of  high  handed  outrage,  which  even  Hiimey 
could  not  justify.  This  teas  the  revival  of  the  old 
sentence!  A  writ  of  Privy  Seal  was  despatched  to 
the  Judges,  commanding  them  to  order  its  execution. 
They  shrank  from  the  flagrant  injustice.  They 
declared  that  neither  the  writ  of  Privy  Seal,  nor  even 
a  warrant  under  the  Great  Seal,  could  authorise 
them,  after  so  long  an  interval  of  time,  to  execute 
the  sentence,  without  first  affording  the  prisoner  an 
opportunity  of  pleading  in  person  against  it;  and 
they  resolved  to  bring  him  to  the  bar  by  a  writ  of 
habeas  corpus,  to  answer  why  execution  should  not 
be  awarded  against  him.f  The  King  approved  of 
this  course,  and  without  a  pause,  Ralegh  was  borne 
from  a  sick  bed,  with  a  burning  fever  raging  in  his 
veins,  to  the  bar  at  Westminster. 

'^  What  have  you  to  say  why  execution  should  not 

*  Tytler,  p,  350.         f  2  Cay  ley,  147  to  156.     Tyller,  352  to  351,     Oldys,  225. 

10 


68  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

be  awarded  against  you/'  demanded  the  clerk  of  the 
crown. 

"  My  voice  hath  grown  weak^  from  my  late  sick- 
ness^ ''  said  Ralegh ;  ^^and  an  ague  that  I  have  on  me 
at  this  instant ;  I  pray  you  to  give  me  the  rehef  of  a 
pen  and  ink.  " 

^^You  speak  audibly  enough/'  quoth  the  Chief 
Justice;  and  in  tones  trembling  from  his  sickness, 
Ralegh  proceeded  with  his  defence. 

"  He  hoped  that  the  Judgment  he  received  to  die 
so  long  since,  would  not  now  be  strained  to  take  away 
his  life  ;  since  by  his  majesty's  commission  for  his  late 
voyage,  it  was  impHed  to  be  restored,  in  giving  him 
power  as  marshal  over  the  Hves  of  others;  and  since 
he  undertook  that  voyage  to  honor  his  sovereign,  and 
to  enrich  his  country  with  gold,  of  the  ore  whereof, 
this  hand  hath  found  and  taken,  in  Guiana. " 

A  most  excellent  defence ;  for  before  he  went 
upon  that  expedition,  he  w^as  offered  a  full  pardon  for 
a  further  bribe  of  £700,  but  Sir  Francis  Bacon,  the 
Lord  Chancellor  of  the  realm^  said  :  "  Sir  !  the  knee 
timber  of  your  voyage,  is  money.  Spare  your 
purse  in  this  particular,  for  upon  my  life^  you  have 
a  sufficient  pardon  for  all  that  is  past,  already ;  the 
king  having  under  his  broad  seal^  made  you  Admiral 
of  your  fleety  and  given  ijou  power  of  martial  law 
over  your  officers  and  men  !  "  Vain  reasoning !  Sir 
Francis  Bacon  was  a  Lawyer ;  but  James  I.  was  a 
King  ! 

From  the  Judgment  Hall  to  the  scaffold,  was  but  a 
stride.  The  warrant  of  death  was  already  signed; 
the  ink  had  dried  upon  it,  before  the  execution  was 
awarded,   and   the  very  next   day,  without  even   a 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  69 

decent  interval  for  the  settlement  of  his  affairs^  the 
sad  farewells  of  human  love^  or  the  supplication  for 
divine  mercy  ;  the  fearful  tragedy  was  hurried  on  to 
its  bloody  catastrophe.  Ralegh  met  his  fate  with  the 
spirit  of  a  soldier^  the  calm  courage  of  a  man^  and 
the  lofty  faith  of  a  Christian.  After  addressing  those 
whom  the  occasion  had  assembled^  in  a  speech  which 
breathes  a  truthful^  as  well  as  a  noble  spirit^  he  pre- 
pared himself  for  death.  The  morning  being  cold^ 
the  sheriff  offered  to  bring  him  from  the  scaffold  to  the 
fire^  that  he  might  warm  himself  before  he  said  his 
prayers^  but  he  answered  ;  ^^no^  good  Mr.  Sheriff^  let 
us  despatch ;  for  within  this  quarter  of  an  hour^  my 
ague  will  come  upon  me^  and  if  I  he  not  dead  before 
that  J  mine  enemies  will  saij^  1  quake  with  fear !  He 
then  knelt^  and  was  for  a  long  time  absorbed  in  prayer^ 
when  rising  from  his  knees^  he  drew  himself  up  to 
his  full  height^  and  raising  his  clasped  hands  toward 
heaven^  exclaimed;  '^'now  I  am  going  to  GodP^ 
After  embracing  the  executioner^  and  giving  him  his 
forgiveness^  he  entreated  him  not  to  strike  until  he 
gave  him  a  token^  and  then^,  ^^to  strike  home." 
When  he  laid  down^  the  headsman  directed  him  to 
turn  his  face  toward  the  east;  he  answered,  "no 
matter  how  the  head  lie^,  so  the  heart  he  right.  "  For 
some  time  he  seemed  rapt  in  prayer,  and  then  he 
gave  the  sign;  which  the  headsman  not  observing, 
he  cried  out,  "  strike^  man ; ''  and  with  these  brave 
words  yet  trembling  on  his  lips,  the  head  of  the  noble 
victim,  rolled  from  the  block  !  ''*' 

Our  sketch  of  the  career  of  Sir  Walter  Ralegh  is 
finished.     While  we  confess  our  high  admiration  for 

*  Tytler,  364.     2  Cayley,  171.     Oldys,  230. 


70  SIR     WALTER     RALEGH. 

his  character^  we  have  endeavoured  to  be  perfectly 
fair  in  our  narration^  and  just  in  our  estimate  of  his 
motives  and  conduct.  In  regard  to  some  of  the 
actions  of  his  Hfe,  a  difference  of  opinion  always  has, 
and  perhaps  always  will,  exist.  The  evidence  which 
satisfies  one  mind,  is  frequently  insufficient  to  con- 
vince another,  and  while  we  consider  the  results  to 
which  we  have  arrived,  fully  justified  by  the  authori- 
ties which  we  have  cited,  and  the  course  of  argument 
pursued ;  others  may  very  probably  adopt  a  different 
conclusion.  All  must  admit  however,  that  he  was  an 
extraordinary  man,  uniting  in  a  wonderful  degree 
those  rare,  and  various  qualities  which  make  up  a 
great  character.  We  are  very  far  from  claiming  for 
him,  perfection.  His  occupations  and  course  of  life, 
were  calculated  to  develope  prominently,  the  frailties 
which  are  inseparable  from  our  nature;  and  it  is 
greatly  to  his  praise,  that  under  the  circumstances  in 
which  he  was  placed,  the  finger  of  censure,  can  point 
to  so  few  of  the  actions  of  his  long  and  eventful 
career,  which  are  deserving  of  reprehension.  Edu- 
cated in  the  camp ;  thrown  in  the  flush  of  his  youth 
into  the  lap  of  a  luxurious  and  corrupt  court;  leading 
the  life  of  a  soldier,  a  sailor,  an  adventurer,  and  a 
courtier;  it  was  scarcely  possible  that  he  should 
wholly  escape  the  soiling  influence  of  vice,  or  rise 
superior  to  the  weakness  of  humanity.  His  nobler 
characteristics  however,  far  outnumber  the  unworthy, 
and  fairly  viewed,  his  character  is  as  deserving  of 
admiration,  as  his  career  is  suggestive  of  interest. 

His  capacities  were  large  and  versatile — his  judg- 
ment strong — his  perception  acute,  and  his  fancy 
vivid   and   restless.     As   a  soldier,   he   was   skilful, 


SIR     WALTER     RALEGH.  71 

chivalric  and  brave.  As  a  statesman^  his  views  were 
sound,  his  policy  enlightened,  and  his  course  digni- 
fied and  patriotic.  As  an  orator,  he  was  nervous,  ve- 
hement and  effective.  As  a  historian,  he  was  phil- 
osophical and  laborious.  As  a  scholar,  elegant  and 
accomplished ;  and  as  a  poet,  pleasing  and  graceful. 
From  his  letters  to  his  wife,  we  are  justified  in  attri- 
buting to  him  those  qualities  of  heart,  which  adorn 
the  intercourse  of  private  hfe;  for  while  they  are 
models  of  style,  they  breathe  a  delicacy  of  feeling, 
and  a  depth  of  affection,  which  prove  him  to  have 
been  a  refined  gentleman,  and  a  true  man.^  In 
all  the  traits  of  his  character,  and  the  actions  of 
his  life,  he  compares  favorably  with  the  men  who 
dignified  the  remarkable  -  age  in  which  he  lived; 
and  while  history  has  assigned  to  him  an  illustrious 
position  in  the  annals  of  the  past,  he  will  ever  enlist 
the  sympathy,  and  challenge  the  admiration,  of  the 
future. 


See  2  Cayley,  pp.  33,  49,  66,  78,  117,  173. 


.sii-i^' 


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